All That Matters
by RachelxxTWD
Summary: When Angela Perkins and what is left of her group head to Atlanta where it is supposed to be safe, they find another group who is fighting for survival just as hard as they are. The newcomers are brought to a camp at a quarry where they settle in quickly. Here, Angela becomes friends with ex cop Rick Grimes and meets the complicated Daryl Dixon.
1. Trouble

**AN: This is my first fanfiction ever so please bear with me. I'm not sure how this story will turn out because as you can see it is a work in progress. I will try to update at least once a week (sometimes more if I get the chance). For some reason I am not very good at working this site, but I guess I will get the hang of it eventually. Other than that, please enjoy and review! Feedback is always welcome **

I dump my clothes from my bag, creating a pile of dirty and folding the clean. Most of it is surprisingly clean. I peal my clothes from my sweaty body and toss them in the dirty pile. I grab a pair of shorts and a loose gray tank top to put on instead, hoping it is cool enough in the relentless Georgia heat. I have to go out hunting today and it would be nice to feel like you aren't going to melt, but I don't think that is avoidable, unfortunately.

"Hey Lisa!" I call up the stairs of the house we have managed to stay safe in for the past month.

"Yeah?" she asks, leaning over the railing.

"Can you please do my laundry? I have to go on the hunting trip, but I swear I will do yours for the rest of the week."

"No problem," the young blonde agrees, swinging her legs over the railing and landing softly on a step. I roll my eyes, knowing I would probably kill myself attempting that. I hand over the pile and smile gratefully.

I turn and head down a hallway and knock on one of the doors to find Drew staring back at me once the door opens.

"Hey Ange, ready to go?" he asks.

"If you two are," I reply while catching a glimpse of Shawn tying his hiking boots on the bottom bunk and grabbing his bow and sling of arrows.

"Is Val coming too?"

"Is that even a question?" my twin sister asks, popping up behind me. I gasp, startled and turn to the grinning redhead.

"You really need to stop doing that," I groan, pushing past her.

"Sorry, I always forget how jumpy you are," she giggles, leaping onto my back. I let her stay on as I grab my backpack from the kitchen table. Her bouncy red curls tickle my cheek as she slides off. The weird thing about Valerie and I is that even though we are fraternal twins, our hair colors are complete opposites. You would think being any sort of twin would result in hair similarities, but no. She is a natural red head with curls and I am a natural blond with wavy hair. Our age is the only thing that hints we are twins. I don't mind because I like having a face of my own. I feel like it defines me more than just my personality. I want people to clearly know who Angela is and who Valerie is, rather than switch it up constantly.

The four of us head to a silver, 2012 SUV that is parked on the curb near the house. I clutch my gun and my knife is tucked away in a sheath that is strapped to my upper thigh in easy reach. I am an excellent knife thrower and not a bad shot with a gun.

There is no sign of any biters nearby, but we are still cautious. When our group found this neighborhood, it was crawling with the awful things. We used knifes and any pointy object to take out sections of them one at a time so that we wouldn't attract too many more with the noise of guns. Our hand to hand combat also improved drastically as did our number of ammo clips. We managed to clear out a whole street, but not without casualties. Our group of twenty dropped to twelve. It was devastating. From there we picked a house that would fit the rest of us and have been living there ever sense.

I slide into the passenger side while Drew gets behind the wheel. Since we are in a development, we have to drive a little farther to get to a good hunting area. It takes about fifteen minutes to get to a suitable place to get out and start looking for food. We have already scavenged what was left of the food in the houses that we cleared, but there wasn't much that was edible. Fresh meat is better than the canned stuff anyway.

"Whose turn is it to watch the car today?" Shawn asks.

"Mine," I say as we all climb out of the car. "You guys have an hour. Now go."

The three slip into the woods stealthily, Drew and Shawn with bows and Val with her knives. She's almost as good as I am with them.

I check my watch and note that they have been gone for twenty minutes when I hear a raspy gurgling noise. Two walkers have wandered onto the road. They haven't seen me yet so I crouch down, knife in hand. They are about fifty feet away from me so, keeping low to the ground; I move to open the passenger door. I hold my breath as I open the door, a soft clicking sound permeating the peaceful air. Luckily, the pair doesn't notice and I open the glove compartment without a problem. I take out the spare knife and straighten. The one with half of its cheek missing spots me and starts to lunge forward with jerky movements, its growls sounding eager. I act quickly and whip my knife forward, nailing it in the eye. The body drops to the ground with a thud and before the other idiot can react, I have implanted the other knife firmly in her skull. I hurry to the bodies and pull out the embedded knives. Then I drag the carcasses off to the side of the road so they won't be in the way when we turn around.

The next thirty five minutes are uneventful. I sit on the hood of the car, ropes in hand in case the need to tie any big game to the roof should arise. I get a little antsy when ten more minutes have gone by and the others still haven't showed.

"C'mon Val," I whisper. Relief washes through me when I see three approaching figures and I recognize them to be Val, Drew, and Shawn. They are all hauling a large buck. The game bag is slung over Val's shoulder and she looks like she is struggling with that and the weight of the buck so I race over to help her. "Awesome catch guys!" I squeal in excitement.

"Yeah, well, your sister is the one with the precise aim," Shawn praises warmly.

I raise an eyebrow. "Yeah?"

"It was her first time using a bow too," Drew grins at me.

I frown slightly. "You risked her missing the shot on this big guy on her first try?" I ask, not too happy about this.

"Well, she was actually aiming at a rabbit, but she missed and then she saw the buck," Shawn explains, still looking at her in awe.

"I can teach you how to use a bow, too if you want," Drew adds, looking at me eagerly. I smile and shrug, not really sure how that would work out.

"Thanks for the confidence in me, sis," Val pouts playfully and sticks her tongue out at me.

"Are you sure you're twenty-two?" I ask her and duck as a fist comes flying.

"Alright you two, lets tie up this deer and head back before my shoulder is ripped from its socket because Val keeps jerking this damn deer around," Drew laughs.

"Oops," she giggles and soon we have it tied and are on our way back home.

"Four rabbits," I think aloud. "Not too bad with the buck."

We pull up to the curb and out run Lisa and Camryn.

"Wow," breathes Lisa, impressed by the massive buck.

"I don't want to be the one responsible to cook _that_," Camryn says, putting her hands on her hips.

We all laugh, but I put in, "We can all help. Here," I toss the game bag to the eighteen year old, "Start skinning these." She makes a face, but walks back near the house to start the gruesome process.

"Get Luke to help you!" shouts Val, winking, but Camryn just blushes furiously and quickens her pace. I smack Val on the arm.

"Hey!" she yelps.

"Don't be so loud," I say through my teeth. She slaps a hand over her mouth and I mutter, "Too late genius," as we all cast nervous glances around. As we walk to the front steps of the house I remember to add, "Oh yeah, I killed two walkers that had found their way to the road, but they weren't a problem."

"That's because that had to deal with a knife wielding badass like you," smiles Drew. I just roll my eyes at the twenty-four year old and nudge his shoulder with my own. Shawn and Val drag the deer to the skinning pit in the fenced in back yard. The "skinning pit" is really a sand box, but we always douse it with bleach when we are done so we don't attract biters with the smell of any left-over blood and guts. We burn any inedible remains in the fire to also eliminate the threat of more biters. Drew and I walk into the kitchen just as the door opens once more. Bo, Mark, and Jesse are back from patrolling our street.

"Took out a few strays," Jesse updates us, referring to the biters.

"I'll go tell Sandy and Logan that it's their turn to patrol," Drew offers. I nod and turn to head for the stairs. Bo joins me.

"Where are you going?" she asks curiously.

I make a face and say, "Folding laundry."

"Can I help?" she offers and I smile gratefully.

"That would be great. If you are tired after your patrol though, why don't you go take a rest?" I suggest. Bo is always trying to help which is amazing, but I want her to think of herself too.

"I'm not tired," she murmurs.

"Are you alright?" I ask her as we attack the clothes spilled all over the floor. Four girls share this room, and today was laundry day so I decided to clean up the mess rather than let it just sit here. "I've noticed you and your brother haven't been talking much lately. Not to be nosy or anything," I add hastily to the end of my comment.

"Well," she sighs, folding one of Lisa's t-shirts and setting it off to the side, "I never had a problem with Sandy before, but ever since Logan and she got together, I just feel like he has been distant towards me recently."

"That's probably because they are in there "honeymoon" phase," I remind Bo, trying to be helpful. "He will snap out of it, believe me. That would happen every time Val got a boyfriend too."

"Have you had many boyfriends?" Bo wonders aloud.

I laugh softly, "Not nearly as many as Val." We finish folding the clothes and I pack mine into my bag. I always am prepared for that one day we have to make a hasty getaway so I want all of my stuff ready to go at a moment's notice. Suddenly, there is a lot of banging downstairs and plenty of shouting to match the amount of banging. Bo and I bolt upright and sprint down the stairs without thinking twice. Sandy is standing in the kitchen, talking quite loudly with a tear streaked face.

"We have to go," she chokes out, "They came out of nowhere and are headed this way." That's when I hear a frighteningly familiar scream.

"Val!"

I race outside to see chaos everywhere. Gunshots ring out as a hoard of biters come lumbering through, ripping down the fence. I see my sister, trying to free her foot from a hole in the ground with a few rocks that we had been meaning to fix, but never got around to. I am about to race to her side when Drew pulls her free and pushes her in my direction. I grab her wrist and haul her to the house, seeing Drew yanking Shawn by his shirt collar. Luke and Camryn have their guns out and we all run up to throw down our bags. Val slings hers cross body style over her and I just grip mine with one free hand while my backpack stays where it belongs.

"Got the front!" yells Luke.

"Covering the sides!" I shout.

"Bringing up the rear!" calls Drew. We make it out the front door to see the throng of dead bodies everywhere.

"How do we get to the car?" I ask, trying not to panic. That's when Mark squeezes past us and sprints for the vehicles.

"Dad!" Camryn screams as her father heads for the truck. He doesn't get too far before a mass of dead bodies envelop him and his pained shrieks are carried in our direction.

Camryn lunges forward, but Luke pulls her back, and tells her firmly, "He's gone, Cam, we can't do anything for him." Camryn sobs loudly and I hiss, "We need to get to those cars before we are permanently screwed."

"Just shoot and run," Sandy says in a strained voice. We take her advice and clear a path to one vehicle. Drew and Shawn reach the SUV first and immediately roll down the windows to open fire on the walking dead. Bo, who was previously gripping my wrist, lets go and starts to make a break for it down the road.

"Bo!" I scream.

"I'm finding Logan!" she screams back. I know it's pointless to race after her, but Sandy must not care because she books it after Bo.

"Sandy!" yells Val, dumbfounded. We are both yanked forward by a yelling Luke who shoves us into the SUV and slams the door closed. He, Camryn, and Lisa get into the Volkswagen behind us and start to drive. Val and I stick our bodies out the window to mow down a path for our car.

"Oh my god!" I gasp.

"What?!" Val asks, wide-eyed. "What did we forget?"

"It's not a what…" I trail off turning around. Jesse is sprinting to us, but gets caught by two biters who sink their teeth into her arm and back. Her wailing can be heard over the hungry growls. Val covers her face with her hands in disbelief. I am wracked with guilt. How could I let this happen? I am the leader! Our two cars break away from the pack of zombies and we floor it down the main street, nearly hitting another one.

"Jesus!" shouts Shawn. He gives Drew a dirty look that shoots him an apologetic one.

"It came out of nowhere," Drew tries.

"It doesn't matter, we missed it," I cut in, my voice strained. "We need to find a relatively safe place to pull over and plan our next move. About thirty minutes later, Drew pulls over on a cracked road with a few abandoned cars.

"I don't know how safe this looks," Val warns. Shawn comes over and puts an arm around her shoulders.

"It will have to do for now. We really need to talk."

Luke, Camryn, and Lisa all exit their car and join us as the hood of ours. I spread out a map and point to Atlanta.

"I think Atlanta is our best shot right now. We can siphon more fuel from these cars if there is any left to make it for the journey there and back if we can't stay. I heard the city is supposed to be safe. It would have plenty of weapons, more food than we have seen in a month, and people." The last word makes our eyes widen. We had a fairly large group, but always being around the same people can get old when people start to argue over stupid things.

"And if it isn't safe?" Luke asks.

"Then we move on," I say simply. "I think it's worth the risk, how about all of you?" Everyone's head slowly nods, but Camryn finally speaks up from her stunned silence. Losing her father was completely unexpected.

"I don't know how I feel about this," she says, her voice sounding surprisingly firm. "It could be over run and then what? We lose more of us from those assholes, or other desperate people trying to make a life."

"It's a risk that needs to be taken. Right now we are exposed. More than before. We need to make some sort of plan to keep us moving so we can avoid the hoard of them back there. It will be dark in a few hours so why don't we go through these cars and see what we can find. Any weapons would be extremely helpful and we do need food." Right when I say that, my stomach rumbles. I give a halfhearted smile. "Let's do it."

Drew and Shawn start on the extra gas while the rest of us start going through the cars. It's strange because there aren't any signs of a struggle like blood or any other remains. The cars are clean of body parts and their doors are open wide.

"Maybe someone already went through these," Lisa mumbles.

"I don't think so," says Val, pointing to a red suitcase in the back of a truck. "This isn't opened. Whoever these people were, it seems like they just left."

"Why are there only seven cars though? Why isn't the whole street filled?" Luke asks. I just shrug and head to a blue minivan. Snack wrappers litter the floor and seats. I find a tie dye backpack and unzip the first pocket. It holds an unopened package of two chap sticks which I put into my own backpack. I find some spare pads, bug spray, an ace bandage, and two pillows. I pull the covers off the pillows, not knowing what could be on them. Someone in this car was my size because I pull out two t-shirts that fit me and a pair of jean shorts. I am mostly excited over a pair of fuzzy socks and some plaid pajama shorts. A two person tent is also packed in the back.

Val comes up next to me as I sort through more items. "It's so weird how all of this stuff was left behind, don't you think?"

"Yeah, but we need this. We lost almost everything back at the house. We are lucky we got our bags, but not everyone had our luck." She just nods and goes back to the car she was going through. "Hey, Val?" I whisper. She looks back at me questioningly.

"Do you think Atlanta is a good idea?"

"I think it's the best option we have right now."

We find some more clothes and Shawn is especially thrilled over a tube of Neosporin. We also find four pillows and three sleeping bags, along with a six person tent which is even better than the two-person. The only weapon found by Drew is a pistol with two rounds left, but we keep it anyway. Our dinner is going to be a can of corn, peaches, and green beans.

When we load everything into the back of the cars, we head off to Atlanta which is two hours away from here. The map lies on my lap as I direct Drew on which roads to turn on to while Shawn and Val sit in the back. I glance behind me to see that the two have fallen asleep. Luke, Lisa, and Camryn all follow behind us.

"It's going to be dark soon," I murmur to Drew. He sighs and honks the horn once to signal to Luke that we need to pull over.

"Why are we stopping?" Lisa asks, yawning.

"We need to stop for the night," I tell her. I take out my knife and start to open the cans. Drew goes to wake the others.

When we finish eating, we all sit in a circle on the road. "Looks like we will be sleeping in the cars tonight," Shawn points out. Camryn groans and I roll my eyes. That girl complains about everything.

"The back seats in our car recline back," I tell Val and Shawn. The two nod and stand. I get up too and stretch. "I'll take the first watch," I volunteer, hoisting myself up on the SUV.

"Wake me in a few hours," Drew says as the others head to the cars to sleep. I nod curtly and turn my attention to the empty road. I feel slightly on edge being so close to the woods, but I suck it up and try to stay alert and not let my mind wander. I couldn't sleep now, even if I wanted to.

About an hour later, I hear someone climb up to the top of the car. I tense, but relax when I realize it's just Val. "Hey," she greets softly.

"I thought you were tired," I respond.

"I can't sleep when I don't feel safe."

"I know the feeling," I tell her. There is a small silence that stretches out between us, but it's comfortable.

"Do you remember when we would all go camping as a family?" she asks suddenly.

"Oh my gosh, yes!" I giggle, remembering when we all came back with poison oak, except for my little brother Cody.

"I remember when my old boyfriend Jack came with us," she laughed.

"That was so embarrassing when he walked in on me changing! How do you not remember what color your tent is?"

Val's smile stretches wider. "I dumped his sorry ass when we got home. I knew he didn't forget which tent was ours. He just wanted to see a girl naked." For the next two hours we just sit and reminisce about the good times. Drew eventually takes our place.

I wake to the sound of arguing outside the car. I hear Camryn tell Drew, "Why does it matter if I stay? Take care of yourselves and leave me out of this. I'm not going to Atlanta."

Drew's voice comes floating through the glass window as he says, "Cam, we need you! Atlanta could be good for us!"

"You don't need me and I certainly don't need any of you!" That's all it takes for me to swiftly exit the car. I go stand next to Val and Shawn who fill me in. Camryn just really doesn't want to go to Atlanta with us and would rather risk it on her own.

"Please Cam," Luke pleads, reaching for her wrist. She yanks her arm away before he can get a hold of her.

"Don't touch me. My choice has been made. I'm leaving." Lisa stands off to the side with tears streaming down her face. Lisa and Camryn had been best friends even before the apocalypse.

"I-I'm going with y-you," she stutters.

"No Lisa, you need to stay with the group. You need to be safe."

"Why do you get to run off then?! I WANT to go with you! But you just want me gone." Camryn sighs and goes to give her a hug, but Lisa pushes her away. "Don't talk to me ever again," she hisses and marches to her car and slams the door. Camryn shakes her head sadly.

"I'll get my stuff," she whispers. I walk with her to the back of the car Lisa is sitting in, still bawling her eyes out. I wordlessly hand over the pistol we found yesterday. "I have one," she mumbles, but I still hand it out to her.

"I filled it with more ammo. Use it wisely. You might need it. I also have another map for you. Sorry we don't have any more food." Camryn just looks at me with her mud-brown eyes. They glisten with tears and she nods, knocking a few loose strands of hair from her bun.

"Angela..." she trails off.

"Luke will want to say goodbye," I tell her softly and she nods once. Camryn and I were never close and even though her complaining always bothered me, she was still part of the group whether she is leaving or not. I turn to watch her and Luke embrace and say a few inaudible words. He leans over and kisses her cheek sadly. Everyone else says goodbye and Camryn walks back over in an attempt to say goodbye to Lisa, but Lisa won't have it. Shawn and Drew clean out a car in the middle of the road and hot wire it so she can drive it. They give her some of the siphoned fuel.

We all get back into our cars and follow Camryn down the road until there is a split in it. She takes a left and we continue straight. She honks once in a final farewell. Now it is just the six of us.

About an hour into the journey, our stomachs growl in hunger.

"Hey, look," Val points toward the looming city up ahead. "We are here."

Cars are all crammed together on the road leading out of the city which I think is weird. The road going into it is almost completely clear.

"Were they evacuating?" Shawn asks in disbelief.

"I have a bad feeling about this…" I say, my stomach clenching in fear. "Is that horse crap over there?" I point, furrowing my brow in confusion.

"Who the hell would ride a horse into a city?" Drew wonders aloud.

"Look, I know we will be crammed, but I want all of us in the same car right now," I tell them. There are three seats in the back, they just have a crap ton of stuff. Val leans back to shove more of it in the very back.

"Make sure I can see out of that back window," Drew warns her. We manage to clear out one seat and pull over.

"What's going on?" Luke asks. Val and Shawn get out to make room.

"We are all piling into the same car. Get your stuff," Shawn tells them. Val and Shawn make a few more adjustments and soon we have everything and everyone inside.

Suddenly we hear loud, echoing gunshots ring out from the eerily quiet city.


	2. Unexpected

**AN: Okay, so here is chapter two. I'm still trying to get into this story and plan what is going to happen next. I guess I am kind of just trying to go with the flow. Angela admits that there are things she wishes she could take back, but don't we all? Her secret is something that haunts her, though. You will see what it is eventually…anyway enjoy the story and don't forget to review! Let me know what you think of it so far.**

All of our heads whip to face the direction the noise came from. "What was that?" Val whispers.

"What did it sound like, idiot?" I whisper back.

"A gun."

"Thank you Drew," I say sarcastically. I'm not really sure what's wrong with me. Maybe it's the building anxiety I'm getting.

"I don't think the city is a good place to go anymore," I say. "Every biter for miles will be drawn to that sound."

"I haven't seen any out here," Shawn points out.

"Yeah because their attention is occupied by something else for the moment," I mutter.

"So what do we do?" Luke demands impatiently. "I don't want to have wasted all of this gas for no reason. I say we go in."

"We don't know what we are walking into though," I remind them. "How about we drive in, but find an open road in case we need to make a speedy getaway."

"I'm in," says Val firmly.

"We're following your lead boss," Drew smiles and starts driving into the city that was supposed to be our refuge. We make our way through the maze of buildings cautiously, all of us on edge.

"I don't see any of those things yet," my sister whispers.

"We have to try not to shoot anything or all of them will be on top of us within three seconds," I say quietly. "Make sure your windows are rolled up too." Oddly enough, we make it to an open road that leads away from the city without too much trouble besides a few cars and bodies that need to be moved. "I'm going in," I tell them.

"Alone?!" Val asks incredulously.

"I'm going to find out why it's so quiet," I say, turning to face her.

"I'm going with you," Drew says immediately.

"None of you are," I say sternly. "Let me check it out. I won't be more than an hour. If I'm not back by then, leave. Just keep driving that way," I point into the distance of the continuing road.

"We would never leave you," Val says seriously. She walks forward and gives me a hug. Her red curls tickle my cheek. "You better come back," she murmurs in my ear. I nod and pull away. The others look at me, unsure if this is a good idea. Honestly, I think it is incredibly risky, but we have to start looking for a new home somewhere.

Gun in hand, and knife in its sheath, I start into the quiet unknown. I walk for about twenty minutes before a loud rumbling starts to become prominent. "What the…" I whisper and stay in the shadows, casting a wary glance around. I see that I am near a fence and a few white trucks are parked there. As I jog closer, I notice this huge mass of something in the street. I squint my eyes, attempting to get a better look. Rain has started to fall and I blink water from my eyes.

I get even closer to the fence and freeze in my tracks. That rumbling noise was the sound of snarling biters. "Oh. Shit." I turn to run, but before I do I notice two men sprinting near the fence. One has an axe and the other holds a crow bar. They are both wearing some kind of long jacket with guts sliding off of them in the rain. They even wear the hands and intestines from bodies around their necks. I feel like I am going to vomit. Then I see that the huge mass of bodies is trying to grab them. I turn, wondering if I should follow my fight or flight instincts. I groan, turning to fight.

"Over here!" I shout, waving my arms at the two guys. They race to the fence and I see that one of them is Asian.

"Duck!" the other man yells as he throws his axe over. The zombies are getting closer and the men begin to climb with incredible speed. I grab the axe and the Asian makes it over before the wall of biters starts to pound on the fence and climb over. I shoot at the few making the climb. I sprint after the other two, our destination seeming to be one of the white trucks.

"Get in!" instructs the man with short brown hair and blue eyes. The Asian is doing something with a metal box and then I realize he is grabbing a pair of keys. He throws them in my direction and the guy next to me jams them in the ignition and the other one climbs in with me. A biter slams its face against the window and I involuntarily gasp.

"Drive!" I yell and we floor it away from the collapsing fence.

"Oh god they are all over the place!" shouts the Asian.

"You need to draw them away," instructs the older man. "There's roll up doors in the front of the store. That area? That's what I need cleared."

"I-" the other one tries to interrupt, but then the driver just keeps talking.

"Go to your friends. Tell them to get down there and be ready."

"I have to attract the geeks away how? I missed that part!" the guy to my right says a little hysterically.

"Noise," the driver says simply. Then he turns to me. "What's your name?"

"Angela," I choke out.

"I'm Rick, Rick Grimes. That's Glenn. We have to get our other people out of a building surrounded by those things." I nod once.

"I'll go with you."

"Are you sure?" he asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Do I have a choice in this infested city?" I reply. Rick just focuses back on the road.

We end up smashing in the window of a dark red sports car and the alarm goes off. That's Glenn's special ride. He heads off to be a distraction. We stay farther back as we drive the white truck up to our destination.

We pull up to the doors and Rick slides out of the driver side and I wordlessly take his place. The others jump in and Rick climbs into the passenger seat beside me. I speed out of there as fast as I can make the truck go without tipping from the sharp turns.

It's quiet in the truck until a black guy says, "I dropped the damn key." I get the impression that someone has been left behind. I swallow a lump in my throat thinking about how awful that must be to be stuck somewhere with a city full of flesh eating monsters.

I clear my throat. "My group is waiting for me on an open road out of here. Can we join you?" I look to Rick because it seems like he's the leader, but it's a Hispanic guy who answers me.

"I don't see why not, as long as the rest of them are like you."

I furrow my brow. "What do you mean?"

"You helped us just like Rick and Glenn as if you were part of this group."

I blush and say, "Well I didn't really have a choice unless I wanted to stay behind and die."

"You could have taken another truck," Rick offers and I smile in his direction.

I turn my head slightly, with my eyes still on the road. "I'm Angela by the way, but most people call me Ang or Angie."

"I'm T-Dog," the black guy answers.

"Andrea," says the blonde next to the black women who I learn is Jacqui.

"I'm Morales," the Hispanic man next to T-Dog announces.

"Nice to meet y'all," I reply. I finally turn a corner onto a vaguely familiar road to see Luke, Lisa, Shawn, Drew, and Val all waiting either inside the SUV, leaning against it, or on top of it. Everyone immediately tenses and holds their weapons up until I stick my arm out the window and wave to them. They all visibly relax with very confused look, but Val is grinning ear to ear. I smile in return, hopping down from the driver's side and racing to embrace my sister.

"Thank god!" she shouts, squeezing me. Then she pulls back. "Who are they?"

"Our new group members," I announce to my original companions.

"What?" Luke asks, taken aback.

"Look, Angela helped us in our escape. She found us while we were in a dire situation and jumped right in to help save us all. She risked her life for us and we all agreed she can join us which means all of you too," Morales faces them all. This is where the introductions begin and everyone seems to warm up to each other for the most part, but things seem a little awkward too. At that moment, a familiar wailing sports car speeds past us with the driver yelling in exhilaration out the window.

"That would be Glenn," I tell them.

"At least someone is having a good day," T-Dog mutters.

"We are on our way back to our camp," Andrea tells us newcomers. "You can follow our truck and the screaming red car," she chuckles slightly.

"I'm going to ride with Rick and everyone if you guys don't mind," I say, glancing at my group and then peeking at Rick who raises an eyebrow, but nods. My sister gives me an odd look and climbs in the passenger side of our other car while Drew gets in the driver side.

The other three get in and Lisa sighs saying, "Let's get out of here."

On our way to the camp I explain our story to everyone. They are sympathetic when I get to the part about the people we lost.

Eventually we are driving up a path that passes a pool of water in a quarry. The alarm on Glenn's car has stopped so I assume someone has turned it off. We pull up and park, and everyone but Rick races to meet their friends and families. I look at him curiously.

"Don't you have family or friends here?"

"I wasn't part of this group until today actually," he tells me. "It's my fault the walkers swarmed like that and it's my fault Merle Dixon was left behind."

I put a hand comfortingly on his shoulder. "I've done some things I'm not proud of either, that I really wish I could take back," I say softly, swallowing a lump in my throat. "Even though I haven't known you that long, I can tell you would never intentionally hurt someone." Rick smiles slightly and gives me an appreciative look.

"Well, let's go meet the rest of the group," Rick says, opening his car door. I get out too and go stand in between my sister and Drew. Everyone else kind of huddles together.

"Ready?" I ask and each one of them slowly nods.


	3. New Home

**AN: I have been updating multiple times this week to get the story going so I don't get writers block anytime soon even though I know it is early for that to happen. I hope you guys have been liking it so far. The pace will pick back up again; this was just kind of put in to show the camp adjusting to the newcomers. Please review even if it is criticism or any ideas you may have. Next chapter will be the meeting of Daryl and Angela, finally! Enjoy!**

Together we walk around the cars to see our new group. Andrea is hugging a young, pretty blonde girl close to her who is crying, "I thought I would never see you again!" Morales is being swarmed by a woman with long brown hair tied up in a bun with two younger children who I assume are his family. T-Dog just goes to stand with the group, not having any emotional reunions, just receiving a few nods. Jacqui walks over to a woman with very short, gray hair that is cut close to her head and a younger girl by her side. A very large, scary looking man stands behind them and gives Jacqui a dirty look. Glenn is standing with an older guy who looks to be in his late sixties. A slender man in a baseball cap and facial hair leans against an RV. The most surprising thing of all though, was the look a tall, handsome man with raven black hair was giving Rick and Rick him. They both stand frozen to the spot, Rick looking at him in awe.

Suddenly a little boy with brown hair comes sprinting in the direction of Rick and yells, "Dad!" and throws himself into Rick's arms. Rick falls to the ground, hugging his son close to him. I stand there open mouthed, completely shocked. As I look around at everyone's faces, it appears they are too. A thin woman with long, dark brown hair comes running to Rick as well and they all hold each other in a tight embrace, crying in happiness. My own eyes water slightly at the scene before me and I gently pull my sister closer with an arm wrapped around her shoulder. She puts her hand on my back and I feel comforted with her presence.

After everyone settles down somewhat, my group introduces itself. Then the strangers go around, giving their names. Morales's wife is Miranda and he has two kids, Louis and Eliza. The girl next to Andrea is her sister Amy. Jacqui is beside Carol and her daughter Sophia, and their husband Ed is the one that makes me nervous. The old guy next to Glenn is Dale. The guy beside the RV is Jim. The man who was having a staring contest with Rick earlier is Rick's best friend, Shane. The woman clinging to Rick is his wife, Lori, and the little boy is his son, Carl.

Glenn walks over to the six of us and asks, "So do you want to get set up? We have extra tents if you need any. I can show you where you can put them."

I smile at him and say, "Thanks, we would really appreciate it."

While the others bring over our bags, I start to put up the six person tent. First I lay it out in a big square on the ground. That part was easy enough. I start to have trouble with a few of the poles though, as I try to fit them through their correct holes. Sweat starts beading along my neck and I growl in frustration. I wrestle with it for another five minutes before I sit back and wipe my brow. I turn around to grab the last pole, but I can't find it. I sigh loudly and turn in a circle, knowing I look stupid doing it. There is a chuckle from behind me and I immediately straighten, a blush spreading across my cheeks. I turn to see Shane casually leaning against a tree, an amused look in his eyes as he hands the missing pole over to me.

"I didn't mean to startle ya," he begins. "I just thought you would like some help? It looked like you were strugglin'," he chuckles.

I clear my throat before I say, "Uh, sure."

He smiles widely at me and begins to help. "Sorry, I was a little distracted earlier with Rick showing up and all of that so I didn't catch your name?"

I frown, confused as I detect a tiny hint of bitterness in his voice when he mentions Rick. "Angela, but you can call me Ang."

"Shane," he replies. Soon we finish the tent and I look him in the eyes for the first time. They are a deep brown.

"So," I start, quickly looking away, "Why were y'all so quick to accept us into your group? I would have been a little more wary of strangers than you were."

"Are ya hintin' that you are a threat?" Shane asks, teasing.

I laugh and look down. "'Course not. I just remember when we were on the run, always having to be careful, not just of the undead, but the living too." I shudder. "Some people will do whatever it takes to survive."

"Yeah, they sure will," Shane says, looking over his shoulder. I catch Lori looking in our direction, but as soon as she is spotted, she hurries away. "Well, I gotta get back to everyone else. Nice meetin' ya Ang," he smiles and walks away at a leisurely pace.

What was _that_ all about? Shrugging it off, I head over to the fire pit in search of food. I haven't eaten since those three cans we found in the cars on the road. Val is sitting in a lawn chair, eating something from a bowl.

"Hey," I greet her, planting myself in the chair next to her.

"Hi," she replies around mouthful of soup.

"Would you like some?" the woman named Carol asks me and I smile at her as she hands me a bowl.

"Thank you." She gives me a warm smile and nods. I turn my attention back to my sister. "Do you like it here?" I ask curiously.

"Well, we have only been here for a few hours, but from what I can tell, everyone gets along pretty well and that officer, Shane, is really attractive," she whispers with a mischievous glint in her eye. "I think I'm gonna go talk to him later."

I give her a look. "Really? Just be careful. He helped me put up one of our tents earlier, but I found it slightly awkward. It was like he was distracted by something else and wasn't paying that much attention to me."

Val furrows her brow in thought. "Hmm. Maybe I can find out what that was all about. I can casually bring it up in conversation. You know, in between our breaths for air as we make out."

I groan and smack her arm lightly. "You and boys," I say, rolling my eyes. "He looks a little old for you."

"Age is only a number, honey," Val grins.

I raise my eyebrows. "I think Shawn has a thing for you, though, in case you were curious."

She scoffs, "Shawn? I doubt it. He's sweet and all, but I don't think he could handle me."

I know my sister is a spit fire, but he has been dealing with her for this long, so I think he has some idea of what he would be getting into. The words are on the tip of my tongue, but I drop the subject.

Suddenly, her tone turns more serious. "Some of the others have been talking about what this guy Daryl is going to do when he comes back. Apparently Merle Dixon has-or had- a brother and he won't take Merle's absence lightly."

"That really sucks, though, losing your only family," I say sympathetically. "If I lost you, my life would be living hell."

"Awww, Angie! You are so sweet, but if I lost you, I would finally be free of your nagging," she giggles.

"Hey!" I protest, acting mock offended. She just laughs as I stand and glare at her with narrow eyes.

Later, we all gather around the fire. I have a blanket wrapped around me and a mug of hot tea in my tingling hands. It's very chilly out at night and Val and Lisa huddle close to my sides for warmth.

Rick is just finishing his story of how he woke up from a coma to find out that this world had turned to shit. A chill runs through me just thinking about that. I know if that had been me, I would have most likely died the first time I saw one of those things.

He is also trying to express his gratitude towards Shane for keeping his family safe. Shane tries to smile, but I see something behind his mask. Is it envy? Possessiveness? When Carl told his father that Lori told him Rick was dead, I saw the look that crossed Loris's face. It almost looked guilty. She peered across the fire right at Shane, and then away. Something is going on, but it's none of my business so I have no choice, but to leave it alone. That is of course, unless Val and Shane ever have a 'thing'. I don't know how I would feel about that…

There's a loud crackle at another fire behind us and I turn my head just as Shane speaks up.

"Hey, Ed? Wanna rethink that log?"

"It cold man," he responds calmly.

"Cold don't change the rules, now does it? Keep our fires low, just embers so we can't be seen from a distance, right?" Shane says pointedly.

"It's just cold. Why don't ya just mind your own business for once," Ed says, exasperated.

That's when Shane gets up and marches over to their fire to have a little chat with Ed. I don't really blame him; no one wants to attract any walkers.

"Have you given any thought to Daryl Dixon? He won't be happy to hear his brother was left behind," Dale points out worriedly.

"I'll tell him. I dropped the key, it's on me," T-Dog volunteers.

"I cuffed him, that makes him mine," Rick interrupts.

"Guys, it's not a competition," Glenn cuts in, "I don't mean to bring race into this, but it might sound better coming from a white guy."

"I did what I did. Hell if I'm gonna hide from it." That's when I gain respect for T-Dog stepping up like that. Rick too.

"We could lie," suggests Amy.

"Tell the truth," I put in, speaking up for the first time even though I never met Merle or Daryl and have no idea what kind of people they are from experience.

"Merle was out of control," Andrea explains, agreeing with me. "Something had to be done or he'd gotten us killed. Your husband did what was necessary," Andrea says, turning to Lori. "And if Merle got left behind, it is nobody's fault, but Merle's."

"And that's what we tell Daryl?" Dale asks, sounding doubtful. "I don't see a rational discussion to be had from that, do you? Word to the wise, we're gonna have our hands full when he gets back from this hunt."

"I was scared and I ran. I'm not ashamed of it," T-Dog states.

"We were all scared, we all ran. What's your point?" Andrea asks.

"I stopped long enough to chain that door. Staircase is narrow. Maybe half a dozen geeks can squeeze against it at any one time. It's not enough to break through that. Not that chain, not that padlock," T had our full attention. "My point, Dixon's alive. He's still up there, handcuffed on that roof." Val scoots even closer to me and rests her head on my shoulder the way Amy is doing to Andrea. "That's on us," he finishes before getting up to go to his tent.

Later that night, we all change into our pajamas and get into our tents. I allow Val and Lisa to take the smaller one while I get to share with the boys. I'm not too excited about that, but I figure that since Lisa is still upset over Camryn's absence and Val is the more comforting one, they should sleep together.

I curl up in my sleeping bag, next to Drew. Shawn and Luke are taking first watch, insisting that they aren't too tired.

"How are you?" Drew asks me, once he is settled in his own sleeping bag.

"I'm alright. I feel safer in this camp than I ever did in that house."

He reaches over tucks a strand of loose hair behind my ear. "I feel like I haven't gotten a chance to talk to ya that much anymore," he whispers. It's true. The two of us have been inseparable since preschool, but lately we just haven't had much alone time to catch up.

I yawn before I murmur, "I know. I miss you."

Drew reaches out to take my hand, something we have always done since we were very young. "I'm right here," he tells me, meaning he will always be there to listen if I want to talk.

I slowly drift off to sleep with the warmth of his hand in mine and the thought of how this stranger, Daryl Dixon, will take the news that his brother got left behind.


	4. First Encounter

**AN: Here's the next chapter! I'm on a roll with updating right? I'm just really enjoying writing this I guess. Thank you so much to Lilly72 for the favorite and hideher for the follow. It really means so much to me! Enjoy the chapter!**

I open my eyes; sweat making my clothes stick to me as I still lay in my sleeping bag. I blink a few times before I realize there's a weight across my stomach. Drew's arm dangles over my hip, his fingers still laced with mine. I laugh quietly and manage to escape his grasp without disturbing him. That takes skill. I slide out of my cloth cocoon and look across to the other side of the spacious tent. Shawn and Luke are passed out, Shawn is even snoring lightly.

I grab a fresh pair of clothes and my small backpack to stuff my dirty ones in. I don't exactly want to change in a tent full of sleeping guys for obvious reasons.

As I exit our tent, I notice that Val and Lisa's is still zipped shut. Everyone must be exhausted. I glance at my digital watch and see that it is nine in the morning. Even though no one follows a schedule at the end of the world, I still like to know what time of day it is.

"C'mon people, rise and shine!" I murmur as I walk by.

I pass Carol near the fire pit, ironing Rick's clothes. Lori is hanging clothes up on a clothes line. Most people are up and busy and a pang of guilt goes through me for not waking my people up to help. Then again, I notice that Rick isn't up yet either, although he has been through a lot worse than us. I decide to wake everyone up, save Shawn and Luke who were on watch, after I get dressed.

I head to the RV to change, but the bathroom is being occupied and Amy is waiting to use it after. I purse my lips, thinking I could change in the shower type area, but not finding that idea appealing. I casually stroll away from camp, deciding to quickly change in the woods. No one has to know.

Once I find a tree, I step behind it and immediately strip out of my pajama shorts and underwear. I slip on replacements and then take off my shirt. I switch bras, putting on a new black one. I freeze right where I am when I hear a rustling in the bushes behind me.

I slowly turn and am startled to find a man with a crossbow pointed directly at me.

"Who the hell are ya?" the man asks in a rough voice. I am momentarily distracted by his striking blue eyes, but then I focus on the fact that there is a weapon in my face.

I am hesitant when I say, "Angela. I'm with a group over there." I point in the general direction of the camp.

His crossbow doesn't lower, but he relaxes slightly. "With Shane and all them?" he asks.

"And Glenn, Andrea, T-Dog, Morales-"

"A'right I get it," he says, sounding annoyed and turning to walk away.

I am stunned for a moment, but snap out of it quickly. "I think I ought to know who the hell you are considering you could have shot me," I retort, jogging to catch up with him.

He doesn't bother to turn around. "What's it to you?" he replies rudely.

I reach out to touch his shoulder in an attempt to stop him and he whips around, getting right in my face. I don't flinch away though as he looks down at me with a scowl. He takes a step back and says, "Daryl."

My mouth almost drops open. So this is the one everyone was so worried about. "Dixon?" I ask incredulously, walking faster to keep up with him again.

"Yeah? Do you always run around half naked?" he grunts, not looking at me again as he strolls back to camp. I am thankful Daryl doesn't catch the blush that heats my cheeks as I race back to throw my shirt on and grab my backpack.

I take my time walking back, still embarrassed about being seen in my bra, but I try to shake it off. At least he wasn't like other guys who would take the opportunity to _look_.

**Daryl's POV**

I try to shake the image of that girl from my mind. It surprised me when she didn't act intimidated by the way I got up in her face. Most girls would back down immediately, but she stared me down with those unwavering, ice blue eyes.

Her blonde hair flowed over her shoulders in golden waves and she was completely caught off guard when I walked up to her with my crossbow. She actually looked kinda pretty – I cut off my thoughts before they go any farther. If Merle knew what I was thinking he would probably laugh at me.

She's just a girl that don't matter.

I head back to camp to show Merle my catch from the hunting trip.

**Angela's POV**

I can see a commotion going on through the trees and I run over to see what's going on. I see my sister standing in front of the RV, in a group with Drew, Lori, Amy, Andrea, Miranda, Carol, Ed, and Jacqui. I can't make my way over to them unless I want to risk being in the line of fire of Daryl who is taking out his rage on Rick.

I'm assuming Daryl has been told the news of his brother.

T-Dog wanders over with a bundle of fire wood, but drops it and yells, "Watch the knife!" that Daryl now wields.

I watch the scene that unfolds before me tensely. Every swipe of Daryl's knife just misses Rick by mere millimeters. As he continues to blindly swing, Rick grabs onto him and Shane helps pin his other arm to his side. Shane manages to hold him in a head lock and they wrestle to the ground as he tries to calm Daryl, knocking the knife from his grasp and saying, "Okay, Okay."

"Best let me go!" yells a red faced Daryl.

"Nah, I think it's better if I don't," Shane disagrees. If this wasn't over something so serious, the scene would be almost comical.

"Chokehold's illegal!" Daryl protests.

"Yeah, well you can file a complaint," Shane retorts to a still struggling Daryl. "C'mon now, we can keep this up all day."

Rick crouches down to Daryl's level and looks directly at him as he says, "I'd like to have a calm discussion on this topic, do you think we can manage that?"

"Think we can manage that?" Rick repeats when Daryl doesn't respond.

Daryl still doesn't answer, but stops struggling so much and Shane releases him. He doesn't bother to stand up right away.

"What I did was no on a whim," continues Rick, still close to Daryl's level. "Your brother does not work and play well with others."

"It's not Rick's fault," interrupts T-Dog. It looks hard for him to continue, but he says, "I had the key, I dropped it."

"You couldn't pick it up?" Daryl asks exasperated.

"Well I dropped it down a drain."

Daryl winces and looks at the ground before picking himself up. "If it's supposed to make me feel better, it don't," he snaps.

"Maybe this will," T-Dog explains, "I chained the door to the roof so the geeks couldn't get at him. With a padlock."

"It's gotta count for somethin'," Rick offers.

Daryl tries to hold it together and wipes the back of his hand across his face. My heart gives a sharp twist watching someone who seemed so tough, try not to fall apart even if I don't know him.

"Hell with all y'all! Just tell me where he is so I can go git im'," he says a little desperately.

"He'll show you," Lori speaks up, "Isn't that right?"

Rick looks around the group before he says, "I'm goin' back."

Daryl just stomps away. I consider going after him, but think better of it when I remember his reaction to me earlier.

It's a little while later when I am at the fire with Lori and Amy when I hear Shane's raised voice as he follows Rick.

"Why would you risk your life for a douchebag like Merle Dixon?" he asks incredulously, right in front of Daryl.

"Hey, choose your words more carefully," Daryl warns him.

"Oh no I did, douchebag's what I meant," Shane retorts. "Merle Dixon," he practically spits. "The guy wouldn't give you a glass of water if you were dying of thirst."

"What he would or would not do doesn't interest me. I, can't let a man die of thirst, me. Thirst and exposure. We left him like an animal caught in a trap. That's no way for anything to die, let alone a human being."

"So you and Daryl, that's your big plan?" questions Lori.

Rick takes a breath before turning to look at Glenn. Poor guy.

"Oh come on," he groans.

"You know the way," Rick states, "You've been there before, in and out, no problem. You said so yourself. It's not fair of me to ask, I know that, but I'd feel a lot better with you along, I know she would too," he says, gesturing to Lori.

"That's just great, now you are gonna risk three men, huh?" challenges Shane.

"Four," adds T-Dog.

Daryl scoffs. "My day just gets better and better, don't it?"

"You see anybody else here stepping up to save your brother's crack ass?"

"Why you?" Daryl asks bluntly.

"You wouldn't even begin to understand. You don't speak my language."

"That's four," Dale points out.

"Five," I say firmly. All eyes are immediately on me.

"No way, Daryl growls irritably.

"Yes way," I insist. "You guys need all the help you can get. An extra person to cover you wouldn't hurt." People may not understand my reasons for helping, but after what happened with my brother I will do whatever it takes to reunite a family. Especially if it's realistic that we can find someone and not just a lost cause.

"Your help would be greatly appreciated," Rick tells me.

"It's not just five people. You are putting every single one of us at risk, just know that Rick. I mean, come on, you saw that walker, it was here, it was in camp. Now that they are moving out of the city we need every able body we got. We need em' here, ready to protect our camp."

This is where Rick goes on to explain the bag of guns he dropped while making a run for it out of the tank and how he needs a walkie talkie in that bag to reach a man who helped save his life. This seems to convince Shane, although he still seems uptight about the whole plan.

Everyone disperses to continue on with their daily activities while the people making the trip are preparing. Daryl is in the white truck we arrived in with Glenn already.

Just as I am about to head to my tent to pack a few provisions, a hand catches my arm and I turn to see Val looking at me with concern. She pulls me into a hug.

"You be careful, you understand me?" she says sincerely.

"You know I will I reassure her as I pull away. She gives me a sad smile, knowing the exact reason why I want to go on this trip.

I make it to our tent this time without another interruption and am packing a water bottle, another knife, some granola bars, and a few other items when the tent flap is unzipped roughly.

"Are you really risking your life for this guy?" Drew's angry voice sounds behind me. He is trying to control most of his anger, but there is no mistaking the tremor of fury underlying his tone.

I sigh and continue packing. "Yes."

"The group was right, he is an asshole!" he is practically yelling now. I stand back up and look at the ground.

"He is a man who walked into camp, expecting his brother to be there, but finding out that his only remaining family could be dead or dying. He is desperate to find Merle. He wasn't there for what happened when Merle was left behind so I think he had every right to react like that because he was totally caught off guard," I counter.

"He had a knife!"

I don't answer. "At least turn and face me!" he yells, raising his voice even more. I slowly turn to look him in the eyes. His hazel eyes look at me fiercely. "Tell me why," he says a little calmer.

"You wouldn't understand," I say softly.

His eyes widen. "Then make me understand!"

"I'll be back later," I whisper as I pass him on my way out. "Make sure Val doesn't get into any trouble while I'm gone," I add and step out into the blinding sunlight.

I am a tiny bit annoyed with Drew's reaction even if he is just worried about my safety. Val didn't even react like that!

I notice Shawn, Lisa, and Luke all huddled together near the RV and they all wave goodbye. I wave back and smile.

There is a loud honk from the truck as Daryl reaches out with his leg and steps on the horn while shouting, "C'mon! I ain't got all day!" to the rest of us still trying to get our things together.

I toss my backpack in and hop up into the back with my legs dangling over the side. I feel eyes burning into the back of my head so I turn around with an eyebrow raised.

"Problem?" I ask Daryl.

He just rolls his eyes and drops to the floor with his crossbow leaning on his knees.

Glenn starts the truck as Rick gets in beside him. T-Dog joins Daryl and me in the back. Off we go on our little road trip.

**AN: And there you have it, Daryl and Angela's interesting first meeting. So they don't hit it off right away, but Daryl Dixon isn't exactly warm and fuzzy toward strangers. I will still follow along with the show, but I won't be repeating everything that happens in each scene word for word because most of you will have already seen it and I don't want to bore you. The story should change a bit as I add new ideas in to shake things up a bit. Let me know what you thought of this chapter. Please review! I would really appreciate it.**


	5. I Know How You Feel

**AN: Here is chapter five! I hope you guys don't mind me following the show a little closely this chapter, but it gets into a few of my own ideas farther in. Let me know how you like it. Also, I'm not sure how much longer these updates that are right after the other will last. Pretty soon they will be more spaced out. Please enjoy!**

We ride in an uncomfortable silence for a while until the truck stops and the engine is cut. The five of us all exit the vehicle.

"We walk from here," Glenn says and together we all make our way into the city.

Glenn leads us to a hole cut in a fence that he has used many times before to get in and out.

"Merle first, or guns?" Rick asks seriously.

I glance at him, a little surprised.

"Merle! We ain't even havin' this conversation!" Daryl says, outraged.

"We are!" Rick shoots back. "You know the geography, it's your call," he tells Glenn.

"Merle's closest; the guns will need doubling back. Merle's first," Glenn answers.

I hold back a sigh of relief knowing that Daryl won't feel the need to kill Rick again just yet. I'm sure another opportunity will present itself.

I stay alert, looking for any stray walkers to be wary about. My gun is in my belt since I won't fire unless I absolutely have to. I clutch my knife in my clammy hands instead.

I hear a snort beside me. "Sure ya know what ya are doin' with that blondie?" Daryl asks, tilting his head at my knife, sounding doubtful.

I narrow my eyes at him and spot a walker in the corner of an alley that we are jogging through. With a flick of my wrist the knife sails effortlessly into the air and right into the eye of a female walker. He grunts, giving me another glance before walking ahead to be near Glenn leading the pack. I smile smugly and hurry to retrieve the knife.

We are now quietly walking through the department store on the lookout for any danger. I catch a glimpse of movement and nudge Daryl beside me. He follows my finger to where it's pointing and wordlessly approaches the stumbling corpse.

"Damn, you are one ugly skank," he tells the decaying body before an arrow goes through her head.

I shake my head, figuring that was a typical Daryl response.

We all race up the stairs to the roof. As soon as T-Dog cuts the chain, Daryl is the first one to burst through the door calling for his brother.

"Merle! Merle!" he shouts expectantly. The rest of us follow closely behind. I feel my stomach drop when I realize that Merle isn't there. Oh no. All that's left behind is a pale, severed hand and some blood on the handcuffs.

"No!" he yells in frustration. "No! NO!" Daryl paces around the roof, looking completely lost and again shouts a strangled, "NO!"

Tears again sting at the back of my blue eyes as I watch this man fall apart just as I have myself. Memories bite at me and cause me to gasp in pain as old wounds are reopened. I want nothing more than to run to Daryl and wrap my arms around him to try and soothe him, but that would probably end in me being thrown over the edge of the roof.

Rick glances back at me, a grimace on his face. His expression softens when he sees me and he holds out an arm in my direction. I accept his offer of comfort and lean into him.

Without warning Daryl turns on T-Dog with his crossbow pointed at him and Rick immediately releases me and has his gun pointed at Daryl's head.

I pull my shit back together and push away the heaviness inside my heart. I feel a little useless, but don't want to make this any worse than it already is.

There is a tense silence as the weapons are drawn.

"I won't hesitate," Rick's voice breaks the uneasy silence. "I don't care if every walker in this city hears it."

Daryl is on the verge of tears, but drops the crossbow. Rick's gun doesn't lower for a few more seconds. Daryl and T-Dog just stare at each other. I'm holding my breath.

"You…got a do rag or somethin'?" Daryl asks unexpectedly.

"Oh God…" I mutter as I catch on to what he's about to do. T-Dog hands him a bandana.

He gingerly picks up the hand before he wraps it in the piece of purple fabric. "I guess the, uh, saw blade was too dull for the handcuffs," he explains. "Ain't that a bitch," he mutters as he studies the white hand.

He motions to Glenn and puts the bundled hand in his backpack. My pity for Glenn increases times five. He has a sick look on his face.

"He musta used a tourniquet," Daryl continues. "His belt. There'd be much more blood if he didn't."

He follows the trail of blood and so do we. I pat Glenn on his shoulder and move on.

"Merle! You in here?" he calls down a flight of stairs.

"Had enough in him to take out these two son of a bitches. One handed." I step over a body and stumble into Daryl. He turns to look at me and I give him an apologetic look.

"Toughest asshole I ever met, my brother," he says with a tint of pride in his voice.

"Any man can pass out from blood loss, no matter how tough he is," I warn with a calm voice.

We get to a gas stove that is still lit that has a belt next to it and flakes of tiny, dead skin. I clear my throat and look away. I typically have a low pain tolerance so I don't even want to imagine what that felt like.

"What's that burnt stuff?" Glenn wonders aloud.

"Skin," I answer him and he looks as sick as I feel. "He cauterized the stump."

"Told ya he was tough. Nobody can kill Merle, but Merle."

While the others continue to study the stove and the contents of it I notice a broken window and say, "Hey guys, he must have left." I feel hot breath on my neck and turn to see Daryl by my shoulder.

"Managed to bust himself out of this death trap," he says with hope.

"Why would he do that?" Glenn asks, incredulously.

"Why wouldn't he?" Daryl counters. "It's better than being handcuffed to a roof and left to rot by you sorry pricks," he snaps, shooting T-Dog a deadly look and a glare my way. "I'm gonna go get im'."

"Daryl, wait," I start and Rick puts his arm out to stop him.

"Get your hands off me!" he protests. "You can't stop me!"

I make my way next to Rick and say, "I don't blame you. He's family, I get that! Rick went through hell to find his and I would give an arm for my sister." I pause, grimacing at my poor choice of words. Daryl is completely focused on me and it throws my speech off for a minute as my heart beat picks up the pace. "I know exactly how you feel wanting to find someone you don't think is lost yet."

"He can't get far with that injury. We can help you check a couple blocks, but only if we can keep a level head," Rick commands.

"I can do that," he says firmly, still gazing at me.

"Only if we get those guns first," T-Dog puts in. "I'm not strolling those streets with just my good intentions, okay?" I nod in agreement and finally look away from Daryl's intense stare.

Soon we have a plan set, developed by former pizza delivery guy, Glenn. Glenn, Daryl, and I find ourselves in an alley.

"You've got some balls for a chinaman," Daryl remarks.

"I'm Korean."

"Whatever," he replies nonchalantly. I elbow Daryl in the ribs sharply. "Th' hell that for?"

"You know what."

Daryl loads his bow and Glenn and I slip through an open gate. We dodge the walkers ambling around and duck behind cars with the gun bag in our sights.

A growl erupts behind me and I spin to sink my knife in the owner's skull. Another appears beside me and I take it out before its grimy hands can touch me.

"Go get the bag. Now," I instruct Glenn. My tone implies that it wasn't a suggestion. He dives behind sand bags on his way and my breathing picks up the pace as I realize I am surrounded by four walkers. This wouldn't have been a problem if I could use my gun and there weren't more starting to gather near me.

"Shit," I swear and kick one in the knee that gets a little too close for comfort. I frantically look for an escape and notice a car about twenty feet away from me. I make my move and rush forward at an oncoming walker to slam it to the ground and sprint to the hood of the car.

I climb to the roof, but a hand catches my ankle that hangs outside an open window. I gasp and try to pull away, but the walker has an iron grip.

I hear the _whoosh_ of an arrow that makes contact with my attacker and I am able to pull myself up. By now I have attracted the attention of at least two dozen walkers all fighting to get to me.

"Hey, over here!" yells a familiar voice. Glenn is waving his arms to get their attention and it works. About ten of them start to lunge after Glenn.

"Where are you going?!" I call, panicked.

"To Rick!" he yells over his shoulder.

I still have too many around me and I find another car within jumping distance. I don't think, just leap as I aim for a red truck.

I try to balance so I don't slip over the side. I get off swiftly and sprint with my heart pounding in my throat back to Daryl who shoots two more walkers on my heels.

He moves to get out of my way, but before I reach the safety of the gate I trip and land on my stomach. I didn't realize a walker was on top of me until I feel the weight of its now dead body literally on top of me.

Daryl runs over to pick me up bridal style to our destination. He sets me down once we are inside and slams the gate shut while we make a run for it to Rick, Glenn, and T-Dog.

We stop to catch our breath for a few seconds and Daryl turns to me. "You okay?" he asks me.

I nod and gasp, "Thank you." He nods once and we continue at a fast pace to find the others.

Our path is littered with walkers, more than the amount of arrows Daryl has and too many for me to take on with just my knife.

I look around for another option and come up empty handed. "Looks like we have to backtrack," I tell him. He follows my lead as I jog back to the ladder that leads to the broken window.

We hurry to the roof and down the flight of stairs away from it. Daryl stops and I nearly run into him again.

"Ya really need ta watch where ya are goin' blondie," Daryl tells me, a little irritated.

"Maybe you shouldn't get in my way," I snap back at him. I relax a little and say, "We should get back to the truck. I bet that's where the others went."

"Let's do it," he replies, readying his crossbow once again.

As we make our way out of the store and back to the fence we originally came through, a question pops into my head. "So what's the story behind the crossbow?"

"Uh, what do ya mean?"

"How long have you had it and when did you learn to shoot and hunt?"

"Why does it matter?" he asks stubbornly.

I let out an exasperated sigh. "Geez Daryl, I didn't know it was such a big deal." Then I feel bad as I think about why he doesn't want to share that information with me. Maybe it has a painful past connected to it. I soften. "Look, I didn't mean-" but I am cut off.

"Her name is Grace and I got er' when I was fourteen. Merle found er' one day when we was huntin' some squirrels and I have been huntin' since I was seven," he says quietly.

**Daryl's POV**

I steal a quick glance at her face to catch her reaction. She smiles lightly at my answer. I am perplexed by this girl. Why does she care about stupid little things like that? Why should she care about things that mean something to me?

"How did ya become a good thrower with knives?" I blurt out after a moment of silence.

She outright laughs. "Daryl Dixon, did you just pay me a compliment?" she acts surprised. I just shrug.

"Well, my dad actually used to hunt too. He wouldn't just use his guns or his bow and arrow though, he would use knives to hunt too. His aim was so precise that an animal wouldn't know what hit them.

One day after school when I was in fourth grade, I saw these kids that weren't from my town practicing throwing at a target. They were a good five years older than me. They would get close, but never quite hit the center. I went up to them and asked them what they were doing and they told me to get lost because it was "big kid stuff".

I was so offended that I went home and told my dad I wanted him to teach me. I told him it was for self-defense reasons. I went back to where I had found them three days later and hit the center of that target without a problem and everyone there saw me. I just wanted to feel like a big kid," she finishes her story.

I chuckle when she's done.

"Sorry, that was longer than I intended."

"I don' mind," I reply, actually shocked that I am enjoying our conversation.

What the hell is wrong with me?

**Angela's POV**

I blush, embarrassed by my rambling, knowing Daryl probably didn't care. I look up ahead to see where the truck should have been.

"Are you kidding me?" I ask, completely caught off guard.

**AN: Was this alright? I hope I am portraying Daryl how he would act on the show. Also, I didn't want to go too overboard with his accent, but tell me if you think I should make his southern drawl more prominent in the way I spell the words as he speaks. Please review to tell me what you thought!**


	6. Knight in Shining Armor

AN: **Hey guys! I have the most exciting news ever…well to me at least. I GOT THREE REVIEWS! I have decided to do shout outs to whoever reviews because I want you guys to know that what you say really does matter to me. So without further ado…**

**WhiteShadow21****: I'm glad that you liked the first chapter and I really hope you like the others just as much, if not more. Thank you for pointing out that my first person writing was off when I said "You would think…" I will have to pay more attention to that in the future. I actually do like constructive criticism because it helps me improve. I will also consider the beta reader. :) **

**Guest****: I think that adding another group in with the Atlanta survivors just made the story a little different. I'm happy you agree with my choice!**

**Kalista****: I agree about Daryl's southern accent. Sometimes when I read other stories that really go all out with it, I feel like it doesn't even sound like Daryl, it sounds like a kindergartener talking. I'm also excited that you really like my story!**

**Thanks guys for my reviews! You really encouraged me to get this next chapter up sooner than I was planning. It means so much to me that you actually take the time to read my story.**

Unfortunately, our means of transportation is M.I.A. Daryl believes that Merle found the truck and took it. We all agree that that seems like a likely possibility, but now we are forced to make the two hour trek back to the quarry on foot.

We all walk silently, on alert for any walkers. The ones that are a threat we take out with ease.

The sky faded to darkness long ago so I have my flashlight pointed on the road to help us see. We know it is risky to be moving at night, but staying in Atlanta is even more dangerous.

Daryl walks silently next to me, not even making a sound while my own boots scuff along the pavement. I try to mimic his stealthy actions and end up looking like I am walking on broken glass. He turns to look at me with the light of his own flashlight.

"What th' hell are ya doin'?" he asks, obviously confused.

I blush and look down, resuming my normal pace. "Trying to walk as quietly as you. That's not natural," I point out.

He grins suddenly, looking amused and my heart flutters. "Hunters feet," he whispers.

"Aha, that's your secret."

Twenty minutes later, as we are on the path up to the camp, the unmistakable sound of gunshots and screams reach our ears. The noise echoes terrifyingly around the quarry.

"No…" I whisper and sprint up the path with everyone hot on my heels.

We burst into camp and begin firing at anything dead and walking, or rather, dead and lurching around.

"Valerie!" I scream, trying to be heard over the chaos. I run to our tents and find her struggling with six walkers. I take out four and she stabs the other two monsters.

"Thanks," she breathes, her flame colored hair out of control. She takes my outstretched hand and I pull her in the direction of the RV.

The two of us hear a shriek to our left. "That's Sophia!" I cry, racing to save the child as Val heads for safety.

Somehow I manage to trip over myself and slam my skull full force into a rock. Dark spots cloud my vision and I reach up to feel my head. I pull my hand back to reveal crimson blood.

I roll to my right and snatch up my gun, shooting the walker trying to grab Sophia.

A snarl sounds behind me and I roll back over, my skull pounding in the process. My vision is hazy and I try to lift my gun, but it must weigh seventy five pounds. The walker drops down and leans close to my face, its foul breath making me gag.

I put my hands on its chest, trying to keep it at bay, but it thrashes hungrily. I let out a blood curdling scream. Suddenly, the walker drops to the side and my vision fades to nothing.

I wake up the next morning in a bed that is in the back of the RV. Sunlight filters through the window, casting a golden glow on the well-used room. I stumble through the door, a dull ache in the back of my skull.

I reach up to feel gauze wrapped securely around my wound. Wait, what wound? Then it all comes flooding back, saving Val, shooting the walker about to devour Sophia, slamming my head, and the walker that was going to tear into _me._

That's weird; I don't remember hearing the gunshot that killed it. Then again, I probably just couldn't identify the specific one that killed it given all of the other noise that polluted the once peaceful quiet. I ignore the questions all rushing for attention and step outside to see what's going on while peeling off the thick gauze.

I squint as my eyes adjust and notice the clean up taking place. I look to my right and freeze in my tracks. Andrea is hunched, glassy eyed, over her now dead sister. My stomach clenches as I make my way over to her.

I crouch down to her level. She doesn't acknowledge my presence, just continues to stare blankly at Amy's unmoving body. I reach out and place my hand over hers.

"I never knew why horrible things happened to good people," I begin quietly. "But now I know it's to spare them from a world as terrible as ours has become."

That seems to shake Andrea from her stupor slightly. She doesn't look at me, but places her other hand over mine and squeezes so lightly, I almost don't even notice it. I know my words won't make Amy come back, but I hope they at least ease some of Andrea's grief.

I stand and scan the camp. I spot Val tossing a walker body into a fire. In fact, I notice several of those fires spread out, burning walkers. Only then does the scent of rotting bodies hit me. The fires burning them have intensified the smell.

Any thought of food in the back of my mind has now vaporized. I continue searching the camp, looking at every face until I find the right one.

Daryl is smashing a shovel through a few corpse's faces. I jog over to join him.

"What are ya doin' up?" he asks, scrutinizing my face when he notices me.

"What are you talking about?"

"Shouldn't ya still be restin'? Ya wacked your head pretty hard, blondie."

I just roll my eyes. "I feel fine now. I don't even think I got a concussion."

Daryl just looks at me doubtfully and bends down to lift a body. I like the way his muscles flex in his sleeveless shirt as he lifts the limp body. He is a highly attractive man now that I think about it-

"Are ya gonna help, or jus' stand there an' look pretty?"

I shake my head and bend down to help. "You think I'm pretty?" I ask, batting my eyelashes playfully.

"'Course not, but isn't that the kinda thing ya say to women to get them ta do shit?" he says with a glint in his eye.

"You are such an asshole," I say, rolling my eyes.

"Took the words right out of my mouth," comes a highly familiar and lately, irritating voice behind me.

Daryl and I have made our way to the closest fire by now and heave the walker into the flames. As soon as my hands are free I turn to face Drew.

"You couldn't just say hi?" I ask, giving him a hard glare.

"You walked right into that one," he says, laughing.

"No, I didn't. Since when is it okay to interrupt a person's conversation? And that was rude!"

"Didn't mean to scare off your knight in shining armor," he says sarcastically.

"Where did that come from?" I demand.

"Oh please, like you don't know given the way you have been latched onto him like a leech. Daryl was the one who shot the walker that almost killed you."

I raise my eyebrows. "Really? Wow, I was wondering who did that, I thought it was you. I was sure I was a goner. Oh, and I didn't know having a conversation with someone meant being clingy. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were jealous."

Just as Drew opens his mouth to respond, I hear two panicked voices from across the camp. Both of our heads turn in the direction of the noise.

Val and Shawn come barreling toward us, Val sobbing and Shawn with a grim expression on his face, holding Val close.

"What's wrong?" I ask slowly, knowing the answer isn't going to be something I want to hear.

"It's Luke and Lisa," Shawn starts, given Val can't catch her breath enough to speak.

My heart beat begins to pick up the pace and my palms begin to sweat.

"What happened to them?" Drew questions, carefully.

"They're dead."

**AN: Okay, I know this isn't the most impressive thing I have ever written, but I just wanted to get this chapter up. I'm sorry it turned out so short. Let me know what you thought in the reviews and if there is anything that could use improvement in the future. Also, I'm curious to see what you think of my own characters. Mainly Angela, Val, and Drew. And Shawn, but we haven't really learned much about him yet besides that he potentially has a thing for Val. Oh yeah, I'll get Shane and Val talking soon. I still have so much to add in…anyway, please review!**


	7. How Dare You?

**AN: Here is chapter 7! I feel like once I reach chapter 10, that will be an accomplishment even though this story isn't ending for a loooong time. Anyway, two of you wonderful readers reviewed. Woohoo!**

**Suzannewazhere:**** I'm so happy you do! Thanks!**

**Kalista:**** Yay! Thanks for reviewing twice! That made my day and yeah, I am trying to work more of my own characters into the story, so you all get to know them better. I just don't want them to be too overpowering, if that makes sense.**

**Thanks again to everyone who reads my story! Enjoy!**

I am standing before Lisa and Luke's bodies, knowing their death was my fault. Apparently they had been missing since the attack until Shawn and Val found them.

I now crouch down before them, running my hands along Lisa's blonde, wavy hair that is so similar to mine. If only I hadn't gone on that mission to find Merle and the guns. No. I take that back. It was something I had to do.

Of course, I can't help but think that if I had been here, I could have stopped the walkers that did this to them.

Tears swim in my eyes as I stare in shock at their bloodied bodies. The three walkers that had been feasting on them lay dead in the wake of their destruction.

Luke's once gold-blonde hair is disheveled and caked with dirt and blood. His intestines spill out of his stomach and it is taking everything I have not to puke at the sight of his insides everywhere.

Lisa's right arm is mostly eaten away, as are her legs and abdomen. Her face is almost untouched, except for a streak of blood on her cheek left by a trailing finger. Her sky blue eyes are glossed over, staring at nothing. Luckily, Luke's soft, green eyes are closed.

I swallow the hard lump in my throat thinking about how Camryn would react to the scene before us. Not very well.

I can't help it. A few tears trail down my miserable face and I hang my head as I stand once again. Drew puts an arm around me and I put my head on his shoulder.

All six of us were fighting for survival together, long before the Atlanta group and the remaining four of us draw comfort and support from each other. Val is leaning heavily on Shawn, but at least she has minimized her crying to a steady stream of silent tears.

Just for precautions, we have to destroy their brains. I stand alone, about to carry out the difficult task when I feel a hand lightly press to my shoulder.

I drop the axe, startled, and spin to face whoever is interrupting.

"Want me ta do it?" Daryl asks quietly. "An arrow won' make as much of a mess…"

I have stopped crying by now, but tears once again prick at the back of my eyes as I realize that Daryl is going out of his way to relieve some of the pressure off of me.

I stand back and let him shoot the arrows into their brains.

"Thanks," I whisper, giving him a sad smile.

He just nods before bending down to wrap a sheet around both of them.

We move the two bodies to their graves that Drew and I have dug. Val and I set in Lisa while Shawn and Drew handle Luke.

I will never get to casually call over to them again. Or ask Lisa to do the laundry. Or watch Val make fun of Luke and Camryn's flirting.

Everyone in camp holds a small service for our lost group members. When everyone has gone, I remain, staring blankly at the graves of the fallen.

And then there were four.

Amy, Lisa, Luke, and Ed who I have to say I'm not going to miss all that much. Apparently while we were gone he got beat up by Shane for shoving Andrea and slapping Carol and just being a plain douchebag.

When I walk back to camp, I see that everyone looks tense and on edge.

"What's going on?" I ask Daryl, coming to stand by his side.

"Jim's been bit. We are goin' to the CDC now. Rick's hopin' we can find a cure," he scoffs.

"Oh no…that's gotta be terrible for Jim, not knowing how much longer he has left. Maybe the CDC will be safe for us, though I doubt there's a cure, but hey, one can only hope right?"

"Hope is for pussy's," mutters Daryl.

"Hope keeps us moving forward," I remind him. He just grunts.

"There isn't anywhere else we could go?" I ask, wanting to know if there are better options.

"Shane was thinkin' Fort Benning, but not as many people were all for it."

"I don't know, I think I would rather try someplace that could possibly have a cure, first," I point out, "Especially for Jim."

"I say we just kill im' now, put im' out of his misery."

"Daryl, you can't be so unsympathetic. You have to understand. Just because you're withdrawn from the group doesn't mean you can ignore what everyone else thinks is best and try to handle things your way."

Daryl turns an icy glare my way. "Ya know why I'm so "withdrawn"? So I don't have to deal with people's bullshit and complaining like you!"

I just stare at him, completely shocked. "Daryl, I'm sorry-"

"Maybe I don' give a fuck 'bout anyone here, ever think about that? Or maybe it hasn't crossed through that pretty blonde mind a yours! It's all 'bout survival! Hell, I don' even know why I have bothered with helpin' ya when ya were part of that damn group who left my brother behind! _That_ was your fault!" he finishes, all up in my face, but not touching me. I can feel his warm breath on my face as he leans closer, staring me down with rage filled eyes.

I take a deep breath and meet his gaze, deadly calm despite being totally caught off guard and hurt.

"Don't blame me for your problems! It was Merle's fault he got left behind! No one could handle him! I could hear his gunshots just outside the city for Christ's sake!" I yell and turn to storm off to my tent.

How dare he accuse me of being responsible for Merle being left behind! I wasn't even there technically!  
A soft rapping sound can be heard on the outside tent flap.

"Not now Drew!" I call, clearly agitated.

Instead, it's Shawn who steps through the flap, a total surprise for me. "Oh, it's just you," I relax a little. "What's up?"

"Well, first of all, I came to make sure that you were okay. I could hear you and Daryl fighting across camp."

My eyes widen. "Did you hear what we said?"

"No one heard a thing, I promise."

I narrow my eyes. "Including Drew?"

His head bobs up and down in confirmation. "What's going on with you two anyway?" he asks curiously, taking a seat on my sleeping bag. He pats the spot next to him and I accept.

I sigh deeply. "I don't know, ever since I've been hanging out with Daryl, he has been acting weird. I think he's afraid that I am going to neglect him and spend more time with Daryl, but that's like Val thinking I'm going to forget her because I'm with Lori or Andrea. Totally ridiculous."

Shawn gives me a knowing look. "Well, I know you two will patch things up," he reassures me, going in for a hug. I hug him back, enjoying his clean scent despite the heat of the day bringing out everyone's natural "perfume". I don't know how he does it.

He stands up to leave, but then turns back around just as he is heading out. "Oh, the original reason I came in here before you and Dixon's little blowout, was to tell you that everyone is packing up now. We leave in an hour."

I stand up to roll up my sleeping bag, noticing that Shawn and Luke's are all set, but mine and Drew's are still unrolled. I get everything of mine packed and put it all outside the tent, preparing to take it down. Hopefully that will be much easier.

I glance behind me to see Val taking down her and Lisa's tent.

"Hey Val, can I share with you now?"

"Yeah, of course…" she is still a little touchy over the whole thing and I don't blame her. I've swallowed my feelings of regret though, for the good of my group.

When everything is ready, we haul it all back to the vehicles.

Leading the caravan is our SUV, Dale's RV, Carol's Cherokee, a van, Daryl's truck, and Shane's jeep is bringing up the rear.

"Took you long enough," Drew jokes as he comes to take two sleeping bags to lighten my load.

"Well, if you had helped pack up your crap, I wouldn't have been as long."

He just grins sheepishly at me. "Morales and his family are leaving by the way. Miranda wants to find her family."

My eyes widen, "Just the four of them?"

I head over to where the goodbyes are taking place. Rick has already given Morales an extra gun and half a box of ammo, but as they turn to go, I catch Miranda's arm.

"Here," I whisper as I pass her a full box of ammo that I have saved for emergencies. We were never really close, just friendly so it's not much of a surprise when she just stares at me with shocked eyes.

"I can't…"

"Yes you can. For your children's safety."

"Thank you," she sniffles, giving me a tight hug. I reach over to ruffle Louis' hair.

"Take care of your sister, understand?" I instruct. He nods vigorously and I walk over to find who I will be driving with.

"What are the driving arrangements?" I ask Rick.

"Well, we are giving your SUV to Morales, so you four will have to distribute yourselves however you want."

I raise my eyebrows at him. "You freely gave away our vehicle? Even if it is going to the right people I wish you would have asked me."

"I'm sorry; Shawn said it would be alright and that you would probably agree to let them have it. Their own transportation isn't very reliable," he says, guilt in his eyes.

I just put a hand on his shoulder. "Oh, whatever, I don't care," I reassure him. "Just check with me next time, alright?"

"You got it."

Lori comes over then and smiles in my direction, but it seems forced. "We are riding with Carol and Sophia."

"Sounds good," says Rick, giving his wife a quick peck on the lips.

"Hey, I'm riding with Shane," Val tells me excitedly from behind. I turn to face her.

"That's awesome! Maybe you can make your move," I nudge her.

"Nah, I've decided to take things slow. Grab his interest and then play hard to get," she winks before walking off.

I sigh and shake my head. What am I going to do with that girl?

I gaze at the group to figure out where I will be riding for this road trip.

Shane and Val are together. Jim is in the RV with Jacqui, Dale, and Glenn and I don't think I could handle being near him when he's suffering. Andrea, T-Dog, Drew, and Shawn are piled in the van. Rick, Lori, Carl, Carol, and Sophia are all in Carol's Cherokee. That just leaves Daryl in the truck.

"Great," I groan, not looking forward to this at all. I jog over to where he is standing next to the truck.

"Can I ride with you?"

He gives me a hard look before saying, "Ya can't ride anywhere else?"

"If I could do you think I would be asking?" I say cuttingly. He grunts in acknowledgement, knowing I make a very good point.

"Get in."

I throw our stuff in the back with Merle's bike. I stare at it for a few seconds as Daryl's voice echoes back to me. _"Hell, I don' even know why I have bothered with helpin' ya when ya were part of that damn group who left my brother behind! _That_ was your fault!"_

My stomach knots and I take a deep breath before sliding into my seat. Not long after, Daryl gets in and slams his door closed.

We pull out of the quarry. I look out one last time at the place I had come to call home in the past few days.

Morales honks once from our SUV in farewell and we take a right while he turns left. This could be a long ride.

**Daryl's POV**

I grip the steering wheel tightly, my knuckles turning white. I feel bad about what I said earlier, I know it wasn't her fault Merle got left behind, I just got so worked up. Her expression looked like I had slapped her in the face.

I glance in her direction and see that she is gazing out the window, ignoring me.

Whatever. The sooner she realizes that I'm not someone to hang around, the better. This is for her own good.

This could be a long ride.

**AN: Okay, so this could just be me being a loser, but I thought it was kind of funny how they both thought the same thing about the drive taking forever. I was gonna make this longer, but I just really want to post this. At least it's a little longer than the last one. For this chapter, I ended up having more conversation than action. In my opinion, I think it helps a little bit with character development, but I don't know. Tell me what you thought! Reviews are greatly appreciated as you all know. :) **


	8. So Stupid

**AN: Here we go, chapter 8! Quite honestly, I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter. I was hoping it would turn out better so I am a little disappointed, but I just wanted to post this. I hope I don't regret it. :/ Anyway two more reviews!**

**Guest****: Yes, that's what I'm hoping for with Drew. Also, you read my mind about the CDC haha. I like the idea of putting in some fluff after things have been a little rough because I feel like that makes it more meaningful, I don't know. Thanks for the review.**

**Kalista****: Glad you are liking it!**

**That's all my rambling for now, enjoy!**

I don't realize I have fallen asleep until I feel the truck pull over. "What's going on?" I ask sleepily.

"Don' know," Daryl says, getting out. I follow suit and discover that the RV's radiator hose is shot which is just fantastic.

I take a look at my surroundings and spot Val and Shane laughing together beside Shane's jeep. I smile to myself at the site of them enjoying each other's company. At least someone is having a better day.

"Y'all, it's Jim," cries Jacqui, "I don't think he can take much more," she announces before disappearing once again inside the RV.

We all nervously glance at each other, not sure what this will mean for Jim.

The decision is made by Jim to be left behind, but since I didn't know him very well, I just respectfully keep my distance, and stand back with Sophia, Carol, and Lori.

"I never got a chance to thank you," Sophia speaks up from beside her mother.

"For what?" I ask, smiling sweetly at her.

"For saving my life, of course. I'm just sorry that you got hurt. It could have been a lot worse than it was," she murmurs, peering at the ground.

"Hey," I say, crouching down and tilting her chin up to look at me. "I would gladly do it ten more times to save you. Don't be sorry about anything, it was worth it."

Sophia reaches out to give me a hug all of a sudden and I hug her tightly to me. I look up to see Carol smiling down at me with tear filled eyes as she mouths "Thank you" silently.

When we all get ready to leave, I look back at Jim before getting into the truck and notice Daryl hesitating before leaving Jim. He nods to him once and despite being angry at him, I can't help but think that Daryl really is a good guy, even if he doesn't always allow it to shine through.

We finally come to a stop once again, just as the light from the lavender sky is vanishing. As everyone exits the vehicles, we all automatically move closer to each other.

The retched smell of death and decay invades our senses as we pass by too many bodies to count. The heat of the day must really have been a key factor in intensifying the smell.

All of them seem to be really dead, not half dead like we are so used to. Clouds of flies swarm the bodies, creating quite a lot of background noise.

I keep my gun in hand, reluctant to shoot just in case, but I have it out nonetheless. My knife rests safely on my upper thigh as usual.

We all move swiftly to the looming glass building in front of us. I grab Val as we near it.

There is a chorus of voices urging, "Keep quiet, keep moving, come on, and shhh!"

We all watch as Shane and Rick try to open the doors, but nothing happens. I cringe at the banging and cast a careful glance around, afraid we will attract walkers.

"There's nobody here," T-Dog shakes his head.

Oh God.

"Then why are these shutters down?" Rick implores.

"Walkers!" yells Daryl all of a sudden. I knew this would happen. I spin around and move in front of Carol and Sophia just in case there were any too close for comfort and they would grab me instead of one of them.

I check for Val and see her standing close to Shane with a knife in her hand, her stance defensive.

Carl starts crying and people begin to panic.

Daryl shoots the walker and whips around to march toward Rick.

"Daryl don't," I start.

"You lead us ta this!" he yells at Rick.

"He made a call!" counters Shane.

"It was the wrong damn call!" shouts Daryl.

I can't help it, I run from Carol and Sophia to get in front of Daryl just as Shane starts forward.

I put my hands on his chest and look him straight in the eye. "Daryl, now's not the time. We could attract more walkers and there are children here."

He gazes at me, his blue eyes burning, but he doesn't say anything else to Shane. I slowly back off and turn away.

"Rick, this is a dead end," Shane tells him.

"Where are we gonna go?" cries a panicked Carol.

"Do you hear me? There is nobody," Shane tries to drive the message home, but Rick still looks hopeful. Actually, desperate might be a better word.

"Rick, we can't be here this close to the city after dark," Lori urges. I have to say I agree, but I also feel like we should keep trying.

"For Benning Rick, still an option," Shane puts in. I see Val looking very uncertain and I'm sure my face mirrors hers.

"On what?" Andrea asks, "No food, no fuel, it's a hundred miles."

"A hundred twenty five, I checked the map," Glenn cuts in.

"Forget Fort Benning, we need answers tonight, now!" Lori yells.

"We'll think of something," Rick stresses.

"We are losing light just standing like bait out here," I warn softly.

This puts everyone into action and we all start to make our way back to the vehicles when I notice Rick hasn't budged. That's when I spot the camera twitch and I freeze in my tracks.

I feel rough hands tug on my upper arm gently, but I pull away and take a step forward.

"We need to go," Daryl murmurs in my ear.

"Not yet," I breathe.

"The camera, it moved," Rick calls. I thought I saw something.

"You imagined it," Dale says.

"Really? Then I must have to," I say sarcastically. I see Daryl give me a sideways glance, but I pay no attention to him.

"It moved," Rick says a little quieter, moving forward once more.

"Rick, man, it doesn't matter if it did or not," Shane tells him, "It's an automotive device man, it's just winding down, now come on!" he urges, grabbing his arm to haul him away.

"Look around at this place, it's dead, okay? It's dead! You need to let it go man!" He yells as Rick fights him.

"Come on," I whisper, knowing there's someone in there, watching us.

That's when Rick starts banging on the door, yelling, "I know you are in there, I know you can hear me! Please, we're desperate!" he says to the camera as Shane's yelling fills the background. "Please help us! We have women, children, no food, hardly any gas left!"

Lori runs up to him to try and tear him away.

"We've got nowhere else to go! If you don't let us in, you're killing us! Please!"

Daryl wraps a muscular arm around my waist then and pulls me away as Drew comes up beside me. "Let it go, Ang."

"Shut up," I snap at him and let Daryl pull me along as I stare at the doors dejectedly.

"You're killing us!" Rick continues screaming. "You're killing us! You're kill-"

Just then, a blinding light spills out of the opening shutter doors. It bathes us all in a white light that looks like something out of a sci-fi movie. We just stand like flies attracted to the light.

We all inch forward to the glass doors that are wide open. Daryl releases me and follows me in.

"Hello?" calls Rick. "Hello?"

"Close those doors," I instruct Shawn.

"Watch for walkers," cautions Dale.

"Hello?" a voice calls and we all point our guns to a man who looks to be in his late forties, early fifties. "Anybody infected?" he asks.

"One of our group was, he didn't make it," Rick informs him.

"Why are you here? What do you want?"

"A chance."

"That's asking for an awful lot these days."

"I know," Rick agrees, waiting for an answer.

We are told we must take a blood test to which Rick obliges and we run to grab our stuff, being told that once the door closes it stays shut.

"Rick Grimes," Rick offers his hand.

"Doctor Edwin Jenner," the other guy answers, looking a little uncertain.

We all end up in an elevator, a heavy silence filling the air.

Daryl decides to break it asking, "Doctors always go around packing heat like that?" meaning the large gun in Jenner's arms.

"Well there were plenty left lying around. I familiarized myself. But you look harmless enough. Except you, I'll have to keep my eye on you," he jokes, looking at Carl who tries to hold back a smile. I grin at seeing Carl smile after the chaos out there.

We exit the elevator and start walking down a hallway that leads into a huge room with desks and computers on a circular platform and a big screen in the front.

We learn that Jenner is the only doctor left and a chill runs through me.

About an hour later, after the blood tests, all of us gather around a table, eating more food than I have seen in months, and laughing from the amount of alcohol we have consumed.

I am giggling as I watch Carl's reaction to the wine.

"Stick to soda pop there, bud," Shane chuckles and Val nudges him playfully. I don't miss the quick kiss on the cheek she receives, but she just pushes him away, grinning.

"Not you Glenn," Daryl jokes.

"What?" he chuckles nervously.

"Keep drinkin' little man, I wanna see how red your face can get."

This sends everyone into a fit of laughter. I grab a wine glass and pour my third glass.

"It seems to me we haven't thanked out host properly," Rick announces.

"He is more than just our host," T-Dog says, raising his glass.

"Cheers!"

"Boo ya!" Daryl puts in and I nearly spray my mouthful of wine from laughing.

"So when are ya gonna tell us what the hell happened here doc?" Shane asks suddenly. "All the other doctors that are supposed to be figuring out what happened, where are they?"

"We are celebratin' Shane. We don't need to do this now," Rick tells him.

The conversation turns dark as we discover that everyone else at the CDC either left to be with their families or "opted out" as Jenner put it.

"Dude, you are such a buzz kill," Glenn complains to Shane when it goes silent.

When everyone is ready to settle down, Jenner shows us to our rooms.

"The facilities powered down, including housing, so you will have to make do here," he explains. "There's a rec room down the hall that you kids might enjoy, just don't plug in any of the video games, okay? Same applies," he says pointing to the rest of us. "If you shower, go easy on the hot water."

"Hot water?" Glenn asks, mesmerized by the sound of that.

"That's what the man said," T-Dog says with a grin.

I find a room with a queen sized bed and fall back on it, smiling wider than I remember in a long time.

There's a subtle knock on my door and I sit up to see Drew staring at me.

"Hey, uh, Val is sharing with Shane tonight so I wondered if, um, maybe you wanted to room with me?" he asks, grabbing the back of his neck.

"Oh, um I think Shawn probably wants some company," I say softly. Guilt rocks through me when I see his face fall, but he quickly puts on a forced smile.

"Yeah, you're probably right. I just know how you are when you sleep somewhere new," he mumbles.

"I think by now I have gotten used to it don't you?"

"Well, I'll see you in the morning," he says walking away.

I sigh and reach for the wine bottle, not bothering with a glass. That's too much trouble.

I stroll into the bathroom and set the bottle on the sink counter. I strip off my clothes and step into the shower, enjoying the feel of the hot water loosening my muscles and washing away all of the grime and dirt I have accumulated. I turn the nozzle as hot as it will go. It burns my skin, but I don't care. I love the feeling of being clean again. I even take the time to shave, finding a pack of razors resting on the edge.

I stay in the shower for twenty minutes, remembering what Jenner said about going easy on the hot water. I probably wouldn't care otherwise, but I want to take another shower tomorrow.

I step out and wrap myself in a white towel. When I walk into my room, I see an unexpected site. Daryl is sitting on my bed, wine bottle in hand.

"W-what are you doing in here?" I ask, completely caught off guard.

"Didn't know ya were in here," he says, blinking a few times.

"You didn't see the bag on the floor?" I ask, my eyebrows rising.

"I'll jus' leave," he slurs, standing up shakily.

"Did you shower yet?" I ask.

"What's it to ya?" he narrows his eyes at me.

"Not everything has to be a fight Daryl and judging by the amount of dirt on you, no, you haven't. Come on, you can use mine."

"I don' need your help."

"Fine, the bathroom is right over there," I say, pointing behind me.

He stumbles in without closing the door, but I can't see him from where I am standing so I assume he can't see me.

I quickly change into a pair of pink pajama shorts and a gray, lace tank top. "I'll be in the rec room!" I call to him, heading out the door. As I make my way down the hall I see Lori crying and hurrying away from the door.

"Hey," I call out to her. "Are you alright?"

She just waves her hand like everything is fine. "Just overwhelmed by how lucky we are to have found this place," she sniffles, but I can tell that's not the reason she's crying.

"Totally understandable," I decide to let it drop, not wanting to deal with her drama.

Right when I walk in, I head straight to the bookshelf. I glance at a few of the titles and pull out Marley and Me. I saw the movie, but never bothered reading the book. I need something that will make me smile.

As I am reading the back, I don't hear the footsteps behind me. I jump nearly five feet in the air when a hand touches my shoulder. I whip around to see Daryl.

"You can't just sneak up on people like that!" I tell him, still gasping for breath.

He just shrugs and I roll my eyes, going back to the books. I freeze and turn back to look at him.

"Daryl…you do realize you forgot to put on pants, right?" I question, trying so hard not to laugh.

His eyes widen. "How th' fuck did I miss that?!"

"Hm, maybe because you are just slightly intoxicated," I grin. "Do you always walk around half naked?" I repeat what he once said to me. He actually looks like he is blushing.

"Least I have ma shirt," he mumbles more to himself.

I laugh. "Come on, we should get back to the room."

We awkwardly hurry through the halls, praying no one has to leave one of the rooms at this very moment.

Daryl throws on a pair of pants and comes to stand next to me as I gather his empty wine bottle and my own bottle that isn't even half gone.

"I'm gonna go put these in the kitchen," I mumble and head in that general direction.

"You're goin' the wrong way, blondie," Daryl says.

I turn to look at him. He points down a different hallway. I blush.

"Maybe you should lead."

"What would ya do without me?" he smirks.

"Hey, watch it Dixon. I survived long enough without you before all of this."

"Yeah, but ya still had a group ta look out for ya," he points out.

I just sigh. "Unless you want a knife implanted in your skull, I suggest you shut it."

"Feisty," he mutters and I giggle. I never pictured Daryl as the kind of guy to say that.

We finally reach the kitchen and before I can pour the remains of my bottle down the sink, he takes it from me. I watch carefully as he gulps some down and _then _pours it down the drain.

I back up into a wall as he comes closer to me. "Look, I jus' wanted to say that I didn' mean what I said earlier 'bout Merle bein' your fault. I was jus' frustrated we had to leave an' we still hadn't found im' yet," he whispers, leaning closer to me.

He puts an arm out to steady himself, his hand right by my head. "It's not a big deal," I say, trying to keep my breathing even. _He's just drunk. He's just drunk._

"Ya it is, I saw the look in your eyes. I didn' mean ta hurt ya," he continues inching closer, his lips just brushing mine, but not a full on kiss.

"I know you didn't mean it," I am gasping for breath now, my heart pounding furiously in my chest. I'm afraid he can hear it. One of his hands drops to my waist, but his other hand stays firmly planted by my head.

One of my hands trails along his neck, tickling it slightly. He shivers and goose bumps rise along my neck. No guy has ever gotten this kind of reaction out of me before and by the looks of it, I'm doing the same to him.

"Angela?" a surprised voice calls out.

Daryl immediately jumps back and I grit my teeth at the intruder.

Daryl slips past Drew who gives him a deadly glare.

"What the fuck was that?"

"That was nothing," I say, turning back to the sink, still recovering from what had just happened.

"That didn't look like nothing," he whispers, marching up behind me.

"Well, you're wrong!" I shout, spinning to face him. "You had to come in and ruin it as usual! I don't know what you have against him. He is actually a nice guy."

His eyes darken and he takes a step back. "Sorry I had to ruin your moment with a worthless redneck," he spits out. "Have you really lowered your standards by that much? Or are you just looking to "get it in". I mean, let's be honest; a guy like that probably doesn't have that opportunity to get with a hot blonde. I bet he's taking advantage of you."

By this point, my hands are balled into fists and I am shaking with fury. "You are so disrespectful toward someone _you don't even know!_ I've had it with you! You don't know anything so stop pretending like you know what's best for me!"

A hurt look passes over Drew's face. "You're right," he says quietly, "Why would I know what's best for my closest friend that I have looked out for for all these years?" He closes his eyes and sucks in a shaky breath. "You still don't know, do you?"

"Know what?" I ask, seriously confused with the turn this conversation has taken.

"Shawn warned me that you would do this to me."

"Do _what_?" I ask, completely baffled.

"Break my heart."

My mouth drops open. "Are you kidding?"

His hazel eyes burn into mine. "You are _so_ stupid Angela."

"Drew, what the hell are you talking about?"

"I love you and I always have."

That's when we hear the shattering of glass outside the room.

**AN: Hmm, what could that noise have been? What do you think? Also, please tell me if you thought any of this was rushed I really don't know how I feel about this chapter. Maybe after this story is done I will do a rewrite. Who knows? Please review!**


	9. On The Road Again

**AN: Last one before chapter 10! Woohoo! I should make chapter 10 longer since I took forever to get this one up. I was just really busy this past week. Thanks everyone who reviewed yet again!**

**Guest:**** Yes, Drew definitely causes complications because of his jealously. It won't be that way forever…**

**Kali:**** Haha I was like hmm maybe Daryl should embarrass himself the way Angela did when they first met. Thanks for all of your reviews.**

**Jasmine:**** Don't worry; I will keep the chapters coming! Thank you so much.**

**And now for chapter 10. Enjoy! **

I tense and then bolt from the room, not knowing how to handle the situation. I see shattered glass littering the floor of the hallway. I bet Daryl was listening.

He heard my best friend confess his love to me just after he was about to kiss me.

I continue running to my room, hoping he's there, but half hoping he's not at the same time. When I swing around the corner into the doorway, I only see my bag and note that his is missing.

"Dammit," I curse and go to sit down on the bed, burying my face in my hands. Why does Drew have to be in love with me? It all made sense now, his hostility toward Daryl.

What didn't make sense was Daryl's reaction. Why had he responded so strongly to those words? Maybe Drew was right and he was just trying to "get it in" as he put it. Now he didn't think he had a chance to sleep with me. _Stop it._ Daryl would never do that.

My heart feels heavy as I crawl into bed, upset at myself for leaving Drew behind, frustrated that he has been getting in the way of Daryl and me, not understanding how he could have been in love with me for all these years, and confused about why Daryl is so angry.

My thoughts don't wander much father though, because as soon as my head hits the pillow, I'm knocked out cold.

I awake the next morning with a pounding headache. I knew I shouldn't have had all that wine. It didn't help my already sore head from hitting that rock.

I groan and stretch, stumbling to my bag in the corner.

I pull on a pair of plain jean shorts and a navy blue tank top with a white lace design. I tug on a white cardigan too since the air conditioning makes the building chilly. I lace up my brown combat boots and tackle my hair and teeth in the bathroom. I decide on a pony tail to keep my hair out of my face.

Satisfied with my appearance, I walk down the hallway, dreading the moment I have to face Drew and Daryl. I take a deep breath and keep my head high as I take a seat next to Val who looks as crappy as I feel.

She gives me a halfhearted smile and I lean over to whisper in her ear, "I need to talk to you later." She looks at me quizzically, but doesn't push it.

Shane takes a seat on Val's other side and I see her blush as he grins over at her. I don't miss Lori's disgusted look directed at Shane. My eyes narrow and I glance back at Shane to see him now staring at his empty plate.

"What happened to your neck?" T-Dog asks Shane suddenly. That's when I notice the three prominent, red scratches just under his jaw.

All eyes are on him, but he just shrugs it off. Val's curious green eyes lock on him as she studies his reaction.

"Must have done it in my sleep," is his response while reaching for a glass of water.

"Never seen you do that before," Rick mentions.

"Neither have I."

A loud moan is heard across the table as Glenn is hunched over his plate of eggs. "Don't ever, ever, ever let me drink again."

Jacqui stands behind him, rubbing his shoulders. I chuckle softly and then notice Drew's stare across from me. I look up at him, but all I see are emotionless hazel eyes.

My heart sinks.

Then I catch Shawn's concerned glance at me and I shoot him a death glare. His eyes widen and he quickly turns his attention back to eating. Val's eyes flick back and forth from me to the boys and I just shake my head at her.

"Are you hung-over? Mom said you would be," Carl tells his father unexpectedly.

"Mom is right," he smiles weakly.

"Mom has that annoying habit," Lori mumbles around a mouthful of bacon.

Daryl appears out of the corner of my eye and leans against a counter, eating his share of powdered eggs. He doesn't even look in my direction.

I grit my teeth, frustrated, and finish my food.

"Doctor," Dale starts, "I don't mean to slam you with questions in the morning first thing."

"But you will anyway," Jenner replies.

"We didn't come here for the eggs," Andrea gets straight to the point.

With that, we all follow Jenner back to the main control room.

"Give me a playback of TS-19," Jenner commands Vi. "Very few people ever got a chance to see this. Very few."

The screen loads and we all are staring at an MRI virtual camera view of someone's brain.

"Is that a brain?" Carl asks, quizzically.

"An extraordinary one," Jenner emphasizes, "Not that it matters in the end. Take us in for a closer look."

"Enhanced internal view," echoes Vi's voice.

The camera zooms in to flashing blue lights that I figure are the signals your brain sends throughout your body.

"What are those lights?" Shane asks.

I see Daryl look at Jenner with fascination.

"It's a person's life," Jenner tells us. I am in awe as my eyes are fixated on the screen. I've always wanted to study this kind of stuff. "Experiences, memories, it's everything. Somewhere, in all that organic wiring, all those ripples of light, is you. The thing that makes you unique. And human."

"It don't make sense, ever?" Daryl asks curiously.

"Those are synapses," Jenner explains, "Electric impulses in the brain that carry all the messages. They determine everything a person says, does, or thinks from the moment of birth, to the moment of death."

"Death, that's what this is, a vigil?" Rick questions.

"Yes. Or rather, the playback of the vigil."

"This person died? Who?" Andrea asks.

"Test subject nineteen. Someone who was bitten, infected, and volunteered to have us record the process. Vi, scan forward to the first event."

"Scanning to first event."

"What is that?" Glenn asks incredulously as we all watch intently as a red light starts trickling up the brain stem.

"It invades the brain like meningitis. The adrenal glands hemorrhage and the brain goes into shut down, then the major organs. Then death."

We all watch silently as all the lights go out and the brain turns dark, like someone flipped a switch.

"Everything you ever were, or will be…gone."

"Is that what happened to Jim?" Sophia looks up at me.

I look to Carol before nodding, "Yes."

Andrea takes a deep breath and Jenner looks at her questioningly.

"She lost somebody two days ago. Her sister," Lori explains.

"I lost somebody too, I know how devastating it is," Jenner empathizes, "Scan to the second event."

From there we watch the reanimation process and see that Jenner shot his patient. We also discover that all communication was lost and that it isn't really known what the thing is whether it be viral, microbial, or the wrath of God as Jacqui put it.

Dale then points out a clock counting down which we find out is how long until decontamination occurs. My heart leaps into my throat. I think I know what that is, but I don't want to cause unnecessary panic in case I'm wrong.

We send a group down to check the fuel for the generators.

I'm in my room, reading Marley and Me when I feel the air conditioning shut off. I can hear everyone gathering in the hallway and go out to join them.

"What's going on? Why's everythin' bein' turned off?" I hear Daryl's voice.

"Everything is shutting down," Jenner says.

"Hey, what the hell does that mean?" Daryl calls after him. I jog next to Val and Shawn despite wanting to keep my distance from the latter.

Chaos soon follows after that and we are all scrambling to get our things as we learn that decontamination means the building will blow up which is what I feared.

Then the doors lock and Daryl and T-Dog try desperately to open the doors while we all watch helplessly. All our efforts are in vain until Jenner opens the door himself.

We all bolt down the hallways, leaving Jacqui and Andrea behind. My conscience tells me to make them leave, but the clock is ticking down and it is their choice to decide how they want to go.

We reach the doors we first entered through and realize the glass won't break either.

"Rick, I have something that might help."

"Carol, I don't think a nail file's gonna do it," Shane jokes grimly.

"That first morning at camp when I washed your uniform, I found this in your pocket," she says, handing Rick a hand grenade.

"Get down!" I yell to Val as Shane dives on top of her. Someone grabs my arm and yanks me down while covering my body with their own.

As soon as the glass shatters we are up and moving. Daryl returns his hand to my upper arm and yanks me along roughly. He jumps out of the hole and turns to steady me when I stumble out.

Drew and Shawn are ahead of me and Shane is gripping Val's hand in his. Guns are being fired to eliminate any walkers in our way. This reminds me of the day we escaped from the house.

I turn my head and see that Dale and Andrea have appeared and my heart thunders in my chest as I yell, "Come on!" to them.

I keep my eye on Val as she is shoved into Shane's jeep. Daryl and I get hastily get into the truck. I hear Rick lay on the horn of the RV to encourage Dale and Andrea to hurry their asses up.

"Get down!" I hear Lori scream and together they dive behind sand bags.

Daryl shoves me down onto the floor and covers me yet again. A loud explosive boom ricochets off of every object in the area and creates a loud ringing in my ears. If I thought it was hot before, it feels like I'm literally in an oven now.

Daryl and I stay down for a few more minutes even though the explosion has stopped, just to be safe. When he gets up, he helps pull me onto the seat.

"Ya okay?" he asks quietly. I nod, trying to recover from our near death experience.

I lean back in my seat and wipe my brow, staring out the window as we finally start moving again, knowing every walker for miles will now be drawn to this area.

For a while we don't say anything, just an awkward silence hangs over us like an oppressive blanket. I want to say something, but I don't know how to start. What did I even do to piss him off?

Finally, I clear my throat and say, "Daryl?"

No answer.

"Okay, last night was weird. You were drunk," I start, taking a peek at him. His hands are clutching the steering wheel so hard his knuckles are turning white.

"I know that it was a mistake and that you would never actually try to kiss me, but why are you mad at me all of a sudden? I know you heard what Drew said…"

Silence.

I give up and stare at my hands folded in my lap. After a few more minutes of silence, Daryl asks softly, "Do ya love im' back?"

My head snaps around to look at him with huge eyes. "No and after all these years I never figured out that he loved _me_. All I know for sure is that it's not him I'm interested in," I say quietly.

"I don' know why I got mad, I jus' didn' know what ta do. I had jus' tried ta kiss ya. I don' know what was wrong with me."

I laugh nervously, "Everyone does stupid things when they are drunk. It was a mistake and I know it won't happen again…" I trail off. The only problem is, I wish it would happen again. I wish we were never interrupted and I had a chance to feel Daryl's lip pressed firmly to mine.

Too bad Drew had to ruin the moment. But now that I had mended things somewhat with Daryl, I had to make things right with Drew. I feel terrible the way I had rejected him just by running away. He has been there for me ever since we were in diapers and lately I have been ignoring him.

There are only so many people I have left in this messed up world; I can't afford to lose one more because of my own carelessness.

**AN: This was shorter than I would have liked, but as usual, I just wanted it up. Chapter 10 will be longer, I promise. Let me know what you thought! I love getting feedback. Also, if you have any ideas for later in the story, feel free to leave any suggestions; I will take them into consideration.**


	10. Always And Forever My Fault

**AN: And here is chapter ten! I hope you really like this one. It's a little longer than last chapter, but not by much. Hopefully the content makes up for that though! Next chapter they will all be back on the road and encounter the huge herd of walkers like on the show. I just wanted to drift off and do my own thing for a little while. Reviews:**

**Kalista:**** Yeah I made that kinda obvious, but oh well haha. And oops false alarm with her and Daryl kissing, but it's bound to happen eventually…right? ;)**

**Jasmine:**** Your comment made my day! Thank you so much! You made me want to put up this chapter right away!**

**Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

We continue driving for about another hour before we come to a stop in front of a gas station.

"Thank God, I really have to pee!" I say, relief filling my voice as I jump out of the truck expectantly.

"Couldn' keep that ta yourself?" Daryl chuckles, also exiting the truck.

"Well I'm not the only one," I point to where Sophia, Carol, Lori, and Carl hurry to the door as Rick, Shane, and T-Dog return outside from the store.

"All clear!" Rick calls, waving everyone in.

The men head over to the gas pumps to see if there is anything left while the rest of us file into the store.

While everyone finishes up in the bathroom, I take a moment to browse through the shelves to find anything worth salvaging. I grab boxes of granola bars and bags of peanuts for snacks. The others grab what they can, too.

I notice a few cases of water in the corner and call to Lori, "Do you wanna help me move these to Shane's jeep?"

She looks slightly uncomfortable, but replies, "Yeah sure."

As we lug the heavy water cases to the jeep, I catch Val and Shane making out near a gas pump. Lori doesn't notice, so once we load everything, I walk over to them and tap Val on the shoulder.

"Sorry to break up your love fest over here, I mean, everyone appreciates PDA," I joke, "but do you guys need anything in particular?" I ask, grinning.

"Like?" Val asks, laughing while Shane grabs the back of his neck nervously.

"There's a candy aisle that I thought you in particular would be interested in," I tell my sister.

Her eyes widen as big as the moon, "You know me too well. Anything for you Shane?" she asks him as a second thought.

"Nah," he clears his throat, "I'm just gonna go see if Rick and everyone needs any help."

"So what was it that you needed to tell me back at the CDC?" Val whispers to me.

"Oh, well, it was about Daryl and Drew."

"No surprise there," she rolls her eyes.

"Was it that obvious something was up?" I ask, a little embarrassed.

She shrugs. "I can always tell when something is bothering you."

From there I explain the story of how Daryl and I were talking in the kitchen, Drew interrupted, told me he loves me, blah, blah, blah. I leave out the part about how Daryl almost kissed me. Even though she's my sister, she wouldn't let that go and that is something I need to forget about because it makes Daryl uncomfortable. Val has a big mouth so if she were to slip up, I would be in trouble.

When I finish, she looks at me knowingly. "No wonder he thought you were stupid, everyone could tell that he was in love with you."

I shove her lightly, "Gee, thanks. Why do I go to you for help again?" I ask sarcastically.

"Because I'm your "other half" according to everyone who knows nothing about twins."

"I think everyone knows how different we are. But seriously, do you think Drew will forgive me?"

Val purses her lips in deep thought as she scans the candy aisle and selects a crunch bar. "He will come around eventually. He's just really hurt right now. He always thought you liked him at least a little bit."

I raise my eyebrows at her. "You know this how?"

"Shawn told me a while ago. Like months before the outbreak began."

"You never thought to mention it?" I ask, clearly annoyed.

"Just because we are sisters doesn't mean you get to know everything. I thought Drew could tell you himself. He has a mouth of his own."

We finish up and head back outside where everyone is gathered.

"Alright," Rick begins, facing everyone, "We need to start looking for a place to stay tonight because it will be dark in a few hours. There were a few houses back in the direction we came from that didn't look like they would be a problem when we passed them. We can clear those out and lie low for the night."

We all hop back into our vehicles. As I sit in the truck with Daryl, I unwrap a Hershey bar.

He looks at me with a raised eyebrow.

I stop myself from taking a bite and look at him. "What?"

"Chocolate?" he asks curiously.

"Hell yeah. That's one of the things I've missed the most about the old world."

Daryl just snorts. "Don't worry, I got one for you too," I reassure him.

"Don' want it," he replies, shaking his head at me.

"I'll give it to you at the house," I say, ignoring him.

We all pull into the driveway of one of the large houses that Rick had mentioned.

"Okay, Shane, T-Dog, Daryl, Angela, and I will all clear out the house in case there are any walkers. Glenn, Drew, and Shawn, you three can scout around the yard and make sure the perimeter is secure. Everyone else can wait in the RV." There is still a fairly large group left, but Andrea, Lori, Carl, Carol, Sophia, Dale, and Val all file into the RV without complaint.

"Follow me," Rick motions us forward. He turns the knob and it is surprisingly unlocked. T-Dog and Shane go left while Daryl and I turn right. Rick begins the climb up the first flight of stairs.

The first room we enter is the living room. A huge flat screen TV covers one wall while two couches and a reclining chair occupy the space around it. Everything is very decorated and neat in this house.

I stay alert with one knife raised if the need to use it should arise. My eyes scan the walls filled with picture frames of a once happy family. They were a family of five, just like my own. Two older sisters and a younger brother in between them just like my own little brother, Cody, smile at the camera.

I have to turn away before the memories come rushing back. Just as I turn, I bump into a body and gasp loudly, throwing my arm forward in an attempt to bury my knife in the walker's eye.

"Whoa there blondie, it's only me," comes a familiar, rough voice. The owner has my wrist caught in their hand to prevent me from making contact.

Not a walker.

Daryl releases me, but eyes me carefully as I give him a weak smile.

"Sorry," I whisper, taking another peek at the family that resembles my own. I feel his gaze follow mine.

I clear my throat quietly. "We should keep moving."

I take the lead once again and we enter the kitchen. I perk up at the thought of extra food in those cabinets.

As I look around, everything in here screams modern and expensive. All of the appliances would have been sparkly clean if it weren't for the thin film of dust from lack of use gathered on them.

Daryl moves ahead of me to check what appears to be an office. I check a guest room down a separate hallway and a bathroom. Nothing.

After sweeping through two more rooms in this freaking huge house, the two of us bump into T-Dog and Shane.

"We didn't see any walkers," T-Dog reports.

"We didn' see none either," Daryl replies.

Rick descends the stairs and says, "We should be safe here, at least for a little while."

"I don't know man; remember what happened at the CDC?" Shane reminds us.

I turn to him, a little annoyed. "Well, I'm pretty sure the house isn't going to blow up unless someone decides to build explosives. Sure, not everywhere is safe, but this will do at least for the night so why can't you be happy about something for once, even if wasn't your idea," I snap. Everyone is completely silent, staring at me, shocked.

I swiftly open the door and am out on the front steps. I take a few steadying breaths to calm down. I know I shouldn't have snapped at Shane, I guess I was still just overwhelmed at the thought of seeing my brother alive again.

I hear the others follow me out and Rick calls everyone over. The other patrol group agrees that it should be safe for tonight and we all gather our things to move into the house.

I catch Drew going into the RV and jog over to him.

"Hey," I greet him softly as I grab a bag off of the table. He doesn't look at me.

"Drew…"

"Just please don't talk to me right now, okay? I can't look at you," he pushes past me with his and Shawn's bags in hand.

I stand there, gaping at the empty space before me. That was harsh. I guess I deserved that though.

Everyone in the house is already picking rooms to sleep in. I have already mentioned the size of this house before, but there are three floors. It's kind of ridiculous.

I walk by a room that Val and Shane are sharing. Then I pass by Dale who has a small guest room all to himself. Carol and Sophia are of course sharing, as are Rick, Lori, and Carl.

I walk into an empty bedroom and lean on the door frame.

"Looks like we are roomin' together, blondie," Daryl says from behind me and I turn to see him grinning.

"How exciting," I say sarcastically and nudge him playfully. We both enter the rather large bedroom and throw our stuff on the ground.

A king size bed rests underneath wide bay windows overlooking a small pond outside.

"Who's taking first watch?" I ask while staring out at the pretty view.

"Glenn and your sister, then me and you," he answers while cleaning his crossbow.

I sigh and sit on the bed, sinking into it a little bit. Then I sit upright and race to our bathroom.

"What are ya doin'?" Daryl asks, confused.

I turn on the sink and water pours from the faucet. "Yes!" I shout. "We have water!"

Daryl walks in and folds his arms across his chest.

"What?" I ask, my face falling. Then the water goes dry.

"Knew it," he says, walking back out.

"Dammit, I got all excited," I sulk, coming back out.

"Ya were like a kid on fuckin' Christmas," he chuckles.

I curl up on the bed after kicking my boots off. "Wake up when it's our turn to go on watch."

"_Angela! Don't leave me! Please!"_

"_What are you doing?! Help him!"_

"_We need to go now!"_

"_Angela! Angela!"_

"Blondie, wake up," I am shaken roughly and bolt upright, scrambling backwards on the bed and falling off the other end.

"Ow," I moan.

"Th' hell? Are ya a'right?" comes Daryl's concerned voice as he jogs to my side of the bed.

"Never been better," I mutter as I pull myself up and stretch. "Bad dream," I explain to him. It hadn't really been a dream though, just echoes of terrified voices screaming at me to make a decision.

We silently make our way outside and climb up to the roof to relieve Glenn and Val of watch.

"Thought you would never get here," Val says, stifling a yawn. Glenn gives us a light smile as he gets down off the roof by the ladder we have leaned against the side of the house.

Since this part of the roof is flat, I sit down and swing my legs over the side. I lean back and gaze at the stars above us, the moon shining a pale light to see enough of the surrounding area if there were any walkers nearby. Unfortunately, that means Daryl can see my face. I still feel uneasy after my brief "dream".

"Okay, what's up with ya? Ever since we have been at this house, ya have been actin' weird," he breaks the silence.

I look down at the ground below. "It's nothing, I just had a bad dream."

"Don' lie to me, I know it's more than that."

Why is he so good at reading me? Even Val hadn't noticed anything was wrong with me unless she decided to leave me alone.

"When I saw a picture in that room earlier, it reminded me of my own family. The happy parents, two sisters, and younger brother…I had a brother named Cody," I whisper, trying not to choke on the words.

"What happened to im'?" Daryl asks softly, probably knowing the answer.

"Walkers," I laugh bitterly, "Of course, but it was my fault. It will always be my fault." I feel empty inside as I begin my story. Memories invade my senses and I am thrown back into that terrible night.

"_Angela, we need to go now!" my mom screams at me._

"_Wait, where's Drew?!" I yell back._

"_He's already out there with Shawn, now move!" Val shouts. "They are everywhere, we need to move now!"_

"_Where's Phil and Cody?!" my mom shrieks all of a sudden._

_My sister shoves us out the door as three walkers wander into our kitchen. "Move!"_

_We race to our car and throw open the doors. I spin around and run over to search through the mass of bodies in our backyard for my little brother._

"_Angela, no!" my mom yells. Drew jumps over the fence bordering the woods just then with Shawn in tow._

"_Where are the others?" I ask, trying not to panic._

"_Phil said he would get Cody," he tells me, completely out of breath. "There are more pouring in from Saxon Street. It's only a matter of time before the whole town is overrun."_

"_Then we really need to get out of here," Val whispers, trying to be heard over the moans of the walking dead, but also trying not to draw any more attention to us. We are hidden behind a group of trees._

"_I won't leave without my baby, you guys go!" my mother urges._

"_Wait, I can climb onto the roof! Maybe I can find him from up there!" I shout, adrenaline coursing through my veins._

_Then the scream of a boy is heard above all of the snarls. One that sounds exactly like my brother._

"_Cody!" we all shout and frantically sprint to the cars._

"_He's across the street!" Val screams._

"_Get into the cars right now and don't argue with me," I say deadly calm. "I will get him. I promise."_

_Val is the only sensible one and Shawn helps her yank the other two in the direction of the cars._

"_Hold on Cody! I'm coming!" Walkers are on his heels, swarming from every direction. His blue eyes that are an exact copy of mine lock with my own as he desperately tries to evade the onslaught of walkers._

_I close the distance between us and grab his hand, pulling him along as we stumble back across the street, to the cars that are already started. We are so close to them and my friend's and families' cries of encouragement are heard loud and clear._

_I feel a violent tug and hear an ear piercing shriek as my baby brother is yanked from my grasp. _

_I spin around to grab him again, but am met with the face of a walker. I bite my cheek to keep from screaming and kick it backward; thank god it was one smaller than me._

"_Ang!" Cody screams in agony as one of those awful beasts rips out his hair and tears into his arm. Tears stream down his face and he reaches out for me as more are drawn around him and strip the meat off his skinny bones._

"_Cody! NO!"_

"_MY BABY!" I can hear my mother wailing and the cars start to drive. They are surrounded by too many walkers so they need to move._

_I am frozen, but have back up as more of those things reach for me this time. "This isn't real," I say aloud, but my brother's cries of pain are _too_ real._

_I grab a baseball bat that is lying on the side of the road and swing at the walkers near me. "Cody, please hang on!" But more and more start to block my way and I can't keep them at bay with just a bat. I need a gun that I don't have._

"_Angela! Don't leave me! Please!" comes a bloody gurgle, but I have no choice._

"_I am so sorry Cody. I love you," I whisper._

_I can't save him now and I will be their next meal if I don't get out of here. I am choking on my tears as I try to gasp for breath, closing the distance to my car. Sobs wrack my entire body and my mother screams, "What are you doing?! Help him!"_

_Without warning, she opens her door and charges into the throng of bodies. Almost immediately her shrieks can be heard over the roar._

"_Mom!" I reach out, but Drew yanks me in the door._

"_We need to go now!" Val says, slamming on the gas._

"_Angela! Angela!" Shawn is screaming as we speed away. We had forgotten he was in another car and pull him inside._

_I collapse on a seat, shaking with sobs and tears blinding me as the pain of Cody and my mother's loss are too much to bear. For the rest of my short, miserable life, I will have their last words and expressions burned into my memory and their blood on my hands._

**AN: That was what Angela has been holding in this whole time and why she felt the need to reunite Daryl and Merle. She wanted to help save Daryl's brother if he still had a chance to come back, unlike Cody who was gone the second he was bitten. The next chapter will pick up where the flashback left off and you will hear what Daryl has to say about her little story. Please review! I would really like to know what you guys think of this one.**


	11. Not Again

**AN: I am trying to get in as many updates as possible before I really need to start focusing on the summer work for the beginning of the school year that I have been neglecting. I am more than halfway done with Tom Sawyer and then I have to read The Scarlet Letter. Ugh. So, here's chapter 11! Reviews:**

**Mrskaz453:**** Thank you so much for your review! I love getting reviews that specifically give their opinions of what's going on with the story. I agree with you 100% about Drew, he's being really selfish. Glad you like the story!**

**Jasmine:**** Your reviews are so motivational and sweet. Thank you so much!**

**Enjoy this chapter!**

I am gasping for breath as I finish my story and beads of sweat are trickling down the side of my face. I don't even realize tears are rolling down my cheeks until Daryl reaches out to wipe them away. The only problem is more of the salty droplets come to replace the ones lost.

"Hey, it's gonna be a'right," Daryl tries to comfort, putting an arm awkwardly around me. I can tell he isn't used to comforting people or showing any kind of affection really.

"My own mother was telling me I should have helped him," I sniffle, "But I ran like a coward and she died trying to do what I was too scared to."

"That's where ya are wrong. Cody was already lost and if ya had stayed any longer, it woulda been you on the ground bein' ripped apart," he says sensibly, turning to face me.

"It should have been me instead of him. He was only twelve…"

"Stop it. Now he doesn' have to deal with the sufferin' this world brings. And if it was you instead of im', your group from before wouldn' have made it this far. No one woulda stepped up to help Glenn and Rick. Not one of em' would have volunteered to go save ma brother even if they didn' know im'," he says with his blue eyes locked on mine.

"That's not entirely true. I'm sure Val, Drew, or Luke would have taken control of the group before you guys. I just felt so useless. I couldn't do anything," by now the tears have stopped and the empty feeling has returned.

"So stop blamin' yourself for somethin' that couldn' be helped. All it does is make ya lose sleep," he releases my shoulders, but sits so close to me that our thighs are brushing.

I nod; knowing what he told me is true. It will just take time to get used to that new thinking.

It feels like a huge weight has been lifted off my chest and I take a deep breath and stare back out at the stars.

There is a brief moment of silence before Daryl asks softly, "Who was Phil?"

I sigh, feeling guilty about not really thinking of him all that much even though of course he means something to me.

"He was my uncle visiting from Oklahoma. We were planning on driving up to their home to get his daughter, but we weren't able to make it. I don't know what happened to him, he kind of just disappeared. I always assumed he just died. There were too many of those things, we barely made out it by the skin of our teeth as it is."

Daryl looks thoughtful for a minute before he says, "He coulda gotten out. Maybe when he got separated from ya he realized it was time to go or he woulda been a meal himself."

"I hope so…"

Our conversation continues for a little while longer about the world before the apocalypse before just dying out altogether. The silence this time is comfortable though as we lay underneath the inky sky in peace.

Three hours later, T-Dog and Rick are up for watch and Daryl and I are able to get some sleep.

I stifle a yawn as we tiptoe throughout the house, trying not to wake anyone as we make our way to our room.

"Tired blondie?" Daryl smirks.

"Guess that nap didn't help much," I murmur quietly.

Once we get into the dim room, the only source of light being the moon shining through the bay windows, I pull out a pair of pajamas and go to the bathroom to change.

When I return I notice Daryl lying on a makeshift bed he made on the floor out of a few pillows and a thin blanket.

"What do you think you are doing?" I ask, coming to stand next to him with my hands on my hips.

"You are takin' the bed," he mumbles into a pillow.

"Uh, no I'm not, you are," I reply, not wanting to sleep comfortably if he had to lie on the hard wood floor.

He opens one eye and peers up at me, "Ya are takin' the damn bed. Now get in."

"No thanks, I prefer the floor," I argue, snatching a pillow and the comforter neatly resting on the bed. I throw it on him and lay my pillow on the floor a few feet away from him so we have space between us.

"Why do ya have ta be a pain in ma ass?" Daryl asks and I hear him stand.

"What are you-?" then I am up in his arms bridal style as he dumps me onto the bed.

"You can't just-" I begin indignantly, but the fluffy, white comforter is thrown in my face rudely and the words are muffled.

"Daryl," I groan, "This is ridiculous. Just get in with me. It's plenty big enough." He doesn't answer so I just sigh dramatically and roll over without the blanket.

By the time I am halfway asleep, I feel the bed shift slightly as a new weight is added to the other end. A blanket is placed over me and I smile to myself at my small victory.

I awake the next morning a little later than I usually do. I'm alone in the middle of the bed and sit up confused. I lean over the side of the bed in search of Daryl, but the floor is devoid of him or any pillows.

I reach up to feel my head; a lump is still there from whacking my head on that rock. It's really starting to irritate me. I really hope I don't have a concussion…

I glance up and notice Daryl leaning against the door frame which interrupts my conversation with myself.

He is grinning and I give him a curious look. "What's up with you?"

"Ya should keep your hair like that more often," he snickers and I just glare at him as I get out of bed.

"Oh shut up," I wave a hand at him as I go get changed and fix my hair.

I reemerge with my hair in a tight fishtail braid, a pair of acid wash shorts, and a black, slightly cropped t-shirt.

Daryl must have gone back downstairs where I assume breakfast is being made. I am on my way down when I feel a tug on my shirt. I look down to see Sophia looking up at me with those innocent brown eyes.

"Your hair looks pretty today," she compliments and I can't fight the smile that spreads across my face.

"Thanks," I say happily.

"Do you think you could to that to my hair?" she asks, hopeful.

I frown slightly. "I think your hair might be too short."

Her face falls and I rush to reassure her, "We will come up with something even better for your hair."

Her smile returns and she hugs my waist. I stroke her hair as we reach the first floor and I turn to look at Carol who smiles sweetly at me.

Breakfast is canned fruit and leftover squirrel from one of Daryl's past hunting trips.

"Is this even safe to eat anymore?" Val asks, picking at the squirrel.

"Now isn't the time to be picky, Val. I mean really, its food," Shawn points out from beside her.

"We should start packing up," announces Rick, "We leave in an hour and continue on our way to Fort Benning."

I finish my breakfast and fly back up the stairs to get my bag, eager to get moving. I don't know why, but there's something unnerving about staying in someone else's house when no one knows if they are dead or alive anymore.

I make sure to grab Daryl's bag as well and descend the stairs once more.

I arrive at the truck and notice Daryl sliding the motorcycle out with T-Dog's help.

"Watcha doin'? I ask curiously.

"Gonna take the motorcycle. The truck's too much of a gas hog."

"Okay, I'll put our stuff in the RV then."

Once I'm done, I walk back over to Daryl, eyeing the metal death trap nervously.

"What, are ya scared of this thing?" he asks.

"I'll deal," I reply, trying to sound confident.

"Didn' know ya wanted ta still ride with me," Daryl responds, narrowing his eyes.

"Well if you don't want me to, I'm sure I could ride in the van with…um Drew, Shawn, Andrea, and T-Dog," I say uneasily.

Daryl just grunts and shrugs nonchalantly. "It's up ta you, blondie. I don' really care."

"Okay, I'll ride with you and the death trap then."

He just scoffs and rolls his eyes, muttering under his breath, "Women make a big deal out of nothin'."

I smile and help everyone else bring their stuff out. It isn't long before we are back on the road with me clinging to Daryl for my life as the motorcycle roars beneath us.

We are on a highway when the caravan slows down. Daryl swerves and picks up speed to get next to the RV to see what the holdup is.

Naturally with our luck there is a huge truck flipped over and blocking the road.

"See a way through?" Dale asks Daryl through the window.

Daryl pauses then nods and jerks his head toward the wreckage. We lead the way through the maze of cars and the RV carefully weaves around.

I just stare blankly at the cars, seeing stuff _everywhere_. Blood being no exception. Unmoving bodies lay in the vehicles and it's quite gruesome to look at.

I look back when I realize everyone has stopped and tap Daryl on the shoulder. We pull over and go investigate to see why white smoke is pouring from the RV.

We just catch the tail end of Dale's rant about being stuck in the middle of nowhere with no hope of continuing.

Shane decides to interrupt asking, "Problem Dale?"

"Okay, that was dumb," he says, paying better attention to his surroundings.

"Can't find a radiator hose here," Shane continues sarcastically.

"There are a lot more things we can find," Daryl says, rifling through the trunk of a car.

"We can siphon more fuel from these cars for a start," T-Dog announces.

"Maybe some water?" Carol actually speaks up.

"That would be great," I pipe up, agreeing with her.

"Food," adds Glenn wistfully.

"This is a graveyard," Lori interrupts.

Everyone, even Daryl turns to look at her.

"I don't know how I feel about this."

"We have to. These people are dead and as unsympathetic as that sounds, we are alive. We need to gather all the supplies we can get to ensure our survival. Life is for the living," I tell her softly.

Everyone looks at me then, and I start to feel self-conscious.

"Um, I'm gonna start looking," I say pointing behind me and hurrying away from their inquisitive eyes.

"That was quite the speech," I hear a voice say behind me. Shane lengthens his stride to catch up to me.

"I was just trying to make her feel a little better about it," I tell him.

I stop at an empty Toyota car and open the passenger door. I nearly gag on the smell of the decaying body leaning on the steering wheel. That doesn't stop me from grabbing his backpack and dumping the contents on the hood.

"Look Ang, I'm sorry if I upset you at the house yesterday," Shane says softly.

I look at him, a little caught off guard. "I was just a little strung out, I didn't mean to take it out on you," I apologize.

"Everyone has their moments," he says in an understanding tone.

"Okay, look Shane, I want to know what you are planning with my sister," I change the subject. I fold my arms across my chest and stare him down with unwavering eyes.

"What do you mean?" he asks, a little uncomfortable.

"Are you in a relationship with her?" I prompt.

"I was getting around to that. Val is a great girl and I was going to ask her if she would be…well I don't know if the title 'girlfriend' means anything anymore," he says sheepishly.

I narrow my eyes. "Then what the hell is going on between you and Lori? I'm not stupid, I know something is up and I am _not_ going to let you hurt Val," I say taking a step closer to him.

Something changes in his eyes then. They turn darker and his eyes narrow just like my own. "What do you know about that?" he asks, dangerously quiet.

"For starters, I'm pretty confident that it was Lori who scratched your neck," I say, gesturing to the red marks.

He grabs his neck then without even noticing it looks like and steps back. "You wouldn't understand that even if I explained it to you. I'm done with Lori. My eyes are only for Val," he answers, his eyes returning to normal.

"They better be," I grumble and turn my attention back to sorting through the mostly junk in the backpack. I can hear Shane's rapidly retreating footsteps.

I sigh and abandon the crap lying before me. It's all useless. Who the hell thought packing toothpicks and a plastic dinosaur would help them survive? I would actually take the toothpicks, but I don't trust what could be on them. Sticking them in my mouth is a risk I am not willing to take.

I continue to amble amongst the cars, the Georgia heat really starting to get to me. Then I see Drew. I casually start walking over to him and just as I am about to call out, I trip over my foot and hit the ground hard.

Why have I been so clumsy lately?

Drew whirls around and spots me on the ground. "Jesus Angela, you startled me!" he exclaims before pulling me up off the ground.

I dust myself off and feel my cheeks go warm.

"You never were the most graceful," Drew chuckles and looks down at the ground.

"So you are talking to me again?" I ask tentatively.

Drew runs a hand through his black hair once. "I know I haven't been treating you right. I just got so mad…how can one guy who seems to be a social outcast grab your attention when I have been trying all my life to get you to look at me the way I look at you?" He sounds so much like a lost little boy that I can't help but feel bad for him.

I reach out and pull him into a hug. I feel his arms tighten around me before I release him.

"I know my feelings toward you aren't what you want them to be, but you have to learn to accept that that's the way they are for now," I try to explain.

I notice Drew's hazel eyes perk up at this. "For now?"

"Don't read into my words like that," I say sternly.

Then his face falls slightly. "Oh right, I forgot you are with Daryl," he hisses.

"Don't act like that," I say disapprovingly. "For your information, Daryl is a friend," I say a little grudgingly. I wish it was more than that. Oh my god. Did I just admit to myself that I have feelings for Daryl Dixon? This heat is worse than I thought it was.

"JUST a friend?" Drew asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Here's where you're pushing it," I grumble, starting to walk away.

"Sorry," he calls after me and I stick my hand up to signal goodbye for now.

That went better than I thought it would. In a way.

"Hey Angela!" I hear Lori call to me.

"Hm?" I ask.

"Can you watch Carl for me?"

"Sure," I nod, a little curious as to where she could be off to in a place like this.

"Thanks, I just need to talk to Rick real quick."

"You got it. Wait, where are Carol and Sophia?" she points in their general direction.

"Hey kiddo," I say to Carl.

"Hi."

"Let's go find Sophia and then maybe we can find something for you two to eat."

He nods vigorously and we greet Carol and Sophia. "Do you want me to watch Sophia for a little while? I have Carl right now so I figured the three of us could spend some time together," I offer to the mother of one.

Carol looks at me gratefully. "That would be great. Thank you."

I reach out to take Sophia's hand and with Carl on my other side, we venture off into the land of abandoned cars.

"Hey look," I point out all of a sudden. Lying on the ground, still in its packaging which I think is really odd, is a pink headband.

Carl bends down to pick it up and hand it to me.

"Thanks. Hey, Sophia, I think I know what we can do for your hair," I say, waving around the headband. The plastic crinkles as I move it. She grins up at me.

"That works!"

"Sorry Carl, can you just humor the girls for a moment?" I ask.

He nods once.

"Good man."

I don't feel too weird about taking the headband because by the looks of it, no one had actually used it yet so it wasn't like we were using a dead little girl's belonging.

"Perfect," I smile as I adjust it on her head. "It even matches the pink of the rainbow on your shirt," I say, lightly poking her stomach. She giggles softly.

"Walkers! Get down!" comes Rick's panicked whisper. I watch as Lori and Carol diver under a car and Lori restrains Carol from running to get Sophia.

Without a moment's hesitation, I am wedged under a tight space beneath a car with Sophia and Carl pulled close to my sides. I wouldn't be able to grab my knife if I were to need it because my thighs are pressed together and my gun is too loud. Shit.

I am definitely going to have a red mark in the shape of a knife on my inner thigh once I get out from under this car.

Sophia starts to struggle as the heavy shuffle of walkers stumbling past fills the silence.

I don't want to man handle her, but I can't have her make any noise or we will be spotted. I cover my hand over her mouth and she struggles some more.

"Shh," I soothe, barely audible. She stops squirming a little.

I don't know how many walkers there are, but if we weren't warned, all of us would have been goners. Their moans are low and hungry sounding, causing the hair on the back of my neck to stand up.

I feel like we are under that car for hours, although that's probably me being dramatic.

Even when the last feet shuffle past, I try to keep the kids pinned down. Somehow Sophia manages to slip from my grasp and wriggle out from under the car.

"Mommy!" she whisper shouts.

Then her whispering turns to screaming as two stragglers lunge for her. I have to bite my own tongue to keep from crying out in fear, but I can't risk Carl being grabbed so I stay put.

Rick is already up and moving, jumping over the guardrail after Sophia and the snarling walkers.

Not again.

What did I just do?

**AN: Naturally after learning to let go of the blame she has against herself over Cody's loss, Angela has to deal with Sophia slipping from her grasp. Let me know what y'all thought in the reviews!**


	12. First Time

**AN: First of all…I just want to apologize to all of you for how long this update took. I was really busy these past few days…actually week, and when I didn't write for that long, I got writer's block. School starts Wednesday and I still have so much school work to finish and cross country practice. I will fit in time to write though, just please bear with me. My goal is to get at least two more chapters up before the start of the school year. So here are my replies to your wonderful reviews:**

**sPaRkzZz: ****That's awesome! Thank you :)**

**Guest: ****I promise more will keep coming!**

**Jasmine:**** I can never get over how much of a dedicated reader you are to my story. I can't believe you read the whole thing over again! Your continued support means the world to me and I meant what I said about how motivational your reviews are. Thank you so much.**

**Amethyst-Pearl-Angel: ****I will answer your questions…Yes Phil is the governor's name; I was waiting for someone to pick up on that haha. He is Angela's uncle and as far as what that will have to do with the story…you will have to keep reading to find out! That won't be for a while though. **

**JazzyDixon: ****Thank you so much for your review. I do try to make Angela relatable to a real person and not someone who is perfect. In some ways she is like me, but only a little bit. Like her blushing problem for example, that has me written all over it haha. Glad you liked my update!**

**This is the most amount of reviews I have ever gotten for one chapter so far. Thank you guys so much, I can't even explain how much that means to me. Anyway, please enjoy chapter 12!**

Once I am sure it's safe to slide out from under the car, I am up and ready to charge into the woods after Rick and Sophia. Carol is crying hysterically and Lori is holding her back as she tries to run after her only daughter.

I sprint to the guard rail and grip my knife in my hand. I easily clear the rail and quickly make my way through the trees, on alert.

A hand on my shoulder makes me whirl around and face my attacker.

"It's just me!" Daryl insists.

"Good, you can help me look for her," I say, my voice at an odd pitch. It's hard for me to talk right when my throat feels like its constricting.

Daryl shakes his head sadly at me. "We need ta wait for Rick to get back. With too many people in the woods, not knowin' where the others are could be dangerous for us and the group. What if another herd came through?"

Frustrated tears sting my eyes and I whip my knife furiously at a nearby tree. It sticks firmly in the bark. I know my reaction was irrational, but not being able to look for Sophia _right now _ when we are most likely to have the best results is making me crazy.

Daryl's hand isn't on my shoulder anymore, but I can feel his stare on me as he evaluates the best way to approach me and get me back to the highway.

"Why don' we-" he begins, but I cut him off.

"I should have been able to keep a better grip on her," I say, nearly inaudible.

Daryl looks at me sharply, slightly annoyed now. "Don' be blamin' yourself for this again. Ya can' control everythin' that happens to other people."

"How hard is it really to hold down a twelve-year old girl? What excuse is there for letting her get away?" I ask, equally as annoyed. I am flooded with so much guilt right now, picturing Carol falling apart.

Daryl throws his hands in the air then. "Ya had ta watch Carl too! Give it a rest, would ya? We will find that lil' girl and bring er' back. So stop worryin' so much."

There is so much conviction in Daryl's voice that I can't stop a shaky smile from spreading across my face. He's right, we will find her even if it's the last thing I do.

We make our way back to everyone else that hasn't moved from their previous spots.

"Anything?" asks Lori and Daryl shakes his head.

"We didn' get far."

I walk over to Carol who is still sobbing beside Lori. I know she will feel the same way I do about how it is my fault.

"Carol, I-"

I don't get a chance to finish my sentence because Carol throws herself into my arms, staining my shirt with her tears. I force myself not to cry for her sake and we stand there for a few minutes until she can pull herself together.

It isn't long before Rick comes back with no luck. Carol isn't too happy about it and I feel like I have been punched in the stomach.

It will be dark soon so everyone picks out a car to sleep in. Carol and Andrea go inside the RV while Dale takes watch on top.

I notice Shane and Val climb into a car together and shake my head at those two. I would think they would need some space from each other eventually.

I don't want to sleep alone tonight, but my sister is unavailable and Drew is "rooming" with Shawn. I don't really want to sleep with him anyway. I pick a car, but don't get inside just yet. Instead, I climb to the roof and lean back on my hands with my legs spread out in front of me.

I don't know how long I sit like that, not thinking of anything in particular; before I notice Daryl silently pass me a few cars away. I slide down off my own and tip toe behind him.

"Ya ain't very sneaky if that was what ya were goin' for," Daryl murmurs.

"I was just wondering where you were headed at a time like this?" I inquire curiously.

"Why don' ya just go back ta bed blondie."

"Can't sleep," I reply honestly.

"I'm lookin' for Sophia," he replies reluctantly.

"Then I'm coming too," I insist.

"I think it's better if I go alone," he disagrees.

"Yeah, because that's such a good idea when it's dark out," I retort, rolling my eyes even though he can't see me.

I turn back to wave my hand in Dale's direction since he has been keeping an eye on us through his binoculars. He waves back to signal he sees me. Daryl huffs irritably, but doesn't try to stop me again. By now I am somewhat used to his grumpiness and it doesn't phase me.

We silently walk along the scattered vehicles to the guard rail once again and climb over. Leaves on branches rustle in the light breeze and nocturnal animals creep along in the brush. Every noise makes me jump slightly as I try to be ready for any of the new additions to the woods; walkers.

"Damn girl, ya sure are jumpy tonight," Daryl mumbles.

"That herd just freaked me out more than I thought it did I guess," I explain and shiver slightly.

"I won' let anythin' happen to ya," Daryl reassures me.

I am slightly surprised by what he says. Of course, I know Daryl wouldn't leave me to die if there was trouble, but the way he said it was like he actually cared about whether I died or not for real.

A small smile creeps across my face. That's when Daryl decides to turn around to see why I slowed down.

"What ya smilin' for?" he asks curiously.

My smile drops right away. "Do you really think we are gonna find her? Honestly," I ask instead. I had to.

"What is with you people thinkin' she's a lost cause? These are the woods of Georgia, not the mountains of Tibet."

"She's just so young…" I trail off.

"She ain't dumb. Survival instincts kick in," Daryl shoots back.

We search for about another hour until we decide that it's time to go back.

"Where are you sleeping?" I ask curiously.

"A car. Same as everybody else," Daryl says warily. "Why?"

"I was just wondering if you have cleaned a car out yet…" I trail off not knowing how to ask this without sounding weird.

"I haven'. What did ya have in mind?" Daryl says with the hint of a smirk on his lips.

I blush furiously, but unfortunately, the darkness can't save me this time because we are on the edge of the highway where the moon is shining brightly. Daryl tilts his head at me curiously.

"Blondie?" he murmurs.

"I uh was just wondering if maybe you wanted to stay in my car. Not to be weird or anything, but it would save you time because you wouldn't have to clean out your own car and we already stayed in the same room back at the house," I look at him with uncertainty, but he just stares back at me with a strange look in his eyes. His smirk has turned into a genuine smile.

I stare into his blue eyes cast in shadow, partially lit by the moon. My heart is hammering in my chest, desperately trying to escape.

Daryl takes a step closer to me. My breathing picks up.

"You don't-"

I don't get a chance to finish my sentence before Daryl closes the gap between us. He presses his thin lips to mine and together they move in synchronization. Daryl rests his hands lightly on my waist and my arms wrap around his neck, pulling him closer. It is a kiss filled with passion and longing and leaves us both gasping for air.

When we break apart, I am staring at him with shock in my eyes. All I can manage to stutter is, "Y-you're not drunk."

Why am I an idiot?

Daryl chuckles and pulls me in again. This time however, while one hand sits on my hip, the other rests on the side of my neck. This kiss is slow and sweet and leaves a bubbly feeling rising in my chest.

Who knew Daryl Dixon could be so gentle.

I realize the time for this is kind of inappropriate considering we were just looking for a lost little girl, but now I can't stop smiling.

"So…about that car," Daryl mumbles. Wordlessly, I grab his hand and lead him to the one I was sitting on earlier.

"I'll take the front," I giggle.

Daryl frowns, "There's more room in the back. That's where ya are goin'."

"Daryl, don't start with me," I warn.

"I got front," he ignores me, climbing in. I sigh loudly. Why can't he just accept an offer for once? I climb into the back, mock irritated.

"Pout all ya want, see if I care," Daryl grumbles, but I can hear the playful tone in his voice.

I drift off into a comfortable sleep, feeling safe with Daryl nearby.

When I wake the next morning I notice Daryl is absent. _Does he always do that?_ I wonder, remembering back at the house when I was alone that morning too.

As I'm sitting up, last night floods my memory. I gasp quietly. Did that really happen? A blush creeps across my face, as usual, while I think about it. I had been so happy that Daryl had finally let me get close to him. Not just physically, but he also let his guard down a little.

I shake my head to focus on the new day. I _am_ going to find Sophia. I open the car door and climb out, stretching and rubbing my neck. It's sore from the way I slept.

I notice the group slowly gathering near the RV so I start off in that direction.

"Whoa there," a familiar voice calls, catching my arm. "This morning I saw _Daryl Dixon_ exit your vehicle," Val says in a know-it-all tone.

I raise an eyebrow at her, amused. "And? We slept together before too."

She gasps and I wince at what I just said. "Bad choice of words," I rush to get out.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," she waves a hand, dismissing my excuse.

"Forget me and Daryl for a moment," I say, trying to distract her, "What were you and Shane up to last night?"

Her expression turns serious then as she says, "We were talking about our lives before the outbreak."

"Wow," I say, a little surprised they would talk about something serious.

"We don't just make out ya know," she scoffs, walking away, but then turning back to add, "No matter how much fun it is," with a wink.

I roll my eyes and jog to reach the RV.

I hear Shane telling Andrea off about complaining about not having a gun. Oh boy. Then Daryl's voice comes floating over to me as he describes where we will be going on our search party.

"Stay quiet and stay sharp. Always keep space between you, and always stay together," Rick gives for advice. "Dale, keep on those repairs," he adds.

I walk away as they discuss whether or not Carl can come, not wanting to be dragged into it because I can see Carl eyeing me for backup. I wave giving the, _you're on your own_ look, but smiling lightly.

I feel a presence by my side and look up to see Daryl standing next to me.

"Mornin' blondie," he smirks, "How did ya sleep?"

I smile and reply, "My neck is sore, I think I slept funny."

He frowns, "How do ya think I feel? I was in the front!"

I smack his arm lightly. "Excuse me, but I don't think it was my fault you refused to backseat."

"Whatever," he mumbles, playing with an arrow.

"So, about last night…" I trial off.

"No, I was not drunk," he grins.

"I was just surprised, that's all," I try to defend myself.

"Why?"

"Well, you didn't seem interested in me that way."

"Well I am," he whispers in my ear before walking away. I shiver and jog to catch up to Rick.

"Hey, Ang," he greets.

"So Carl is coming along, huh?" I say as we hop the rail.

Rick sighs before replying, "He really wants to find his friend. This is important to him."

"It's important to all of us, but it must be hard for him to not have many kids around his age," I sympathize.

Rick nods sullenly and we walk together in silence. After a while, Drew comes up beside me.

"Hi," he mutters. Rick glances sideways at us and quickens his pace.

"What's up?" I ask, wary about the expression on his face.

"I uh noticed you and Dixon shared a car last night…"

"And?" I challenge. I thought we had gotten past this.

"And nothing. I was just making an observation."

I sigh heavily and stop in my tracks. He comes to a halt and looks a little nervous.

"Look Drew, right now we need to focus on finding Sophia. That's the most important thing. So swallow your jealously and get over it. I don't care if you think Daryl and I are together or not, that's not what I'm concerned about and it's not what you should be worried about either." With that I march off, wanting to be away from people right now. The only company I want is a little dirty-blonde haired girl with a pink headband.

**AN: So…I am not sure I like how this turned out. BUT Daryl and Angela kissed! Oh ma god! Haha let me know what you thought about this chapter. It wasn't the best, but I will make up for it somehow. Please review, you know they inspire me to write!**


	13. Complications

**AN: Okay…so I feel terrible about how long it has been since I last updated which was much worse than last time. It has been hard for me lately to find a balance between this, cross country, and school. I still have to figure out a schedule, but I will let you know when the regular updates will be coming. Don't give up on me; I'm nowhere close to being done with this story! And now onto the reviews!**

**mrskaz453****: I'm always so happy to see how much you have to say about each of my updates. Thank you so much! And about Angela starting the kiss…that took some courage haha.**

**Jasmine****: Thank you! I'm so happy you liked it! Glad to know I will always have at least one person reading :) **

**TheMosh4321****: I love your writing so much so the fact that you said this…thank you so much.**

**shika93**: **I can't believe you took the time to review every one of my chapters. That means so much to me, thank you!**

**Now here's the long awaited chapter 13!**

So far our search hasn't really gotten us anywhere and my patience is wearing thin. Earlier we had thought we found something, but it was just a tent with a rotting corpse of someone who had "opted out". I have felt Daryl's gaze drift to me more than once, but I ignore him, still not wanting to be bothered by anyone and he will only be a distraction from the task at hand.

"Hey sis," Val says lowly from beside me.

I quirk an eyebrow at her, "What do you want, _sis_?"

"You just look so down," she comments.

"Oh, I'm sorry, should I be jumping for joy?" I reply sarcastically with a hint of acidity in my tone.

She holds her hands up in surrender. "Easy there killer, I just wanted to know if you felt like talking."

"All I want is to find Sophia and Drew to shut up about me and Daryl. I don't even want to know what he would do if he found out Daryl and I kissed." As soon as the words leave my lips, I slap a hand over my mouth.

Val's eyes grow to the size of the moon and her mouth hangs open. "When did this happen?" she asks, surprisingly calm.

"Uhm, last night after Daryl and I went looking for Sophia?" I say it as a question rather than a statement.

This earns me a hard smack to the back of my head.

"Ow! What the hell, Val?"

"You didn't think to tell me?!" she struggles to keep her voice low.

"You have a big mouth! Jesus, you aren't two! You can't hit people when you are mad," I scold.

"I'm not mad, I-" she stops abruptly to wrap her arms around me in a tight hug. Not only is my head throbbing, but the air is also being squeezed from my lungs.

"Val. I. can't. You. Have to. Let go," I wheeze.

"I'm just so happy you finally found someone. Especially at the end of the world. I have always been scared about what would happen to you if I wasn't here anymore." She pulls back to look at me with tear-filled eyes. "I mean I know you have Drew and Shawn, but-"

I cut her off by placing my hand over her mouth. "It was just a kiss. It doesn't necessarily mean anything," I shrug nonchalantly. The truth is, I know how Daryl is and he doesn't exactly strike me as the relationship type and I can't help but think that this little bit of drama is ridiculous, especially when our primary goal should be surviving.

Just as Val opens her mouth once more, the ringing of church bells catches everyone's attention. Without a word, we all simultaneously head toward the noise piercing the soft drone of the bugs in the background.

"What direction?" Shane mutters to Rick.

"That direction, I'm pretty sure," he replies pointing far off to the right.

"Dang it's hard to tell out here," Shane grumbles.

I stand still, not making any movement, trying to pinpoint where the sound is coming from exactly.

"What do ya hear blondie?" a gruff voice mumbles next to me. I squint, trying to focus.

"I can't really tell when you are talking," I point out.

"-She could be ringin' them herself," Rick says hopefully. I just catch the end of a conversation the group is finishing when I think I have finally gotten the location of the church right.

"This way!" I encourage and everyone follows my lead, hurrying through the crunching leaves and snapping twigs.

When a small, white building comes into view, I can't stop the skipping of my heartbeat in hope that Sophia is in there. I push my legs to sprint faster, trying to reawaken my cross country and track roots.

The red, paint chipped door is thrown open to reveal three walkers sitting in the pews. Is this some sort of sick joke? I have to hold back the urge to whip my knife into the wood flooring in frustration.

I turn to stalk out of the building as Rick, Daryl, and Shane eliminate the threat inside.

"Sophia!" I hear Daryl shout rather loudly and I flinch slightly. "Hey J.C, got any requests?" I hear his snarky comment. I can't help but smile grimly, no matter how messed up this situation is.

"Hey," I hear a voice softly call out. I turn to see Drew approaching me with concern written on his face.

"I just thought she was in there," I sigh heavily. He reaches out to put a hand on my shoulder but thinks better of it and just drops his hand to his side.

"Look, about what I said earlier…" he starts, but I hold up my hand to stop him.

"It's whatever. I didn't mean to sound that harsh. Let's just drop it, okay?" I ask and he nods with a slight, but hopeful smile on his face.

I look over his shoulder to see Shawn approaching us. I nod to him.

"Hey, dude," I say lightly causing Shawn to crack a grin.

"Yo," he imitates me and I poke the dimple in his cheek playfully.

"Watch it," he swats my hand away and Drew laughs.

"What's going on over here?" Val demands attention, as usual, while launching herself onto Shawn's back who blushes slightly. I give him a curious look before answering my sister.

"Talking about how irritating a certain red head in this group is. The usual," I shrug.

"Do you annoy people as a hobby or is that just your personality?" Val asks with a fake smile and flashes me a rude gesture.

"How old are you?" I ask her, putting my hands on my hips.

"Let's not even go there," Shawn chuckles earning him a cuff upside the head.

"Don't even," Val warns, slipping off his back and tossing her flame-colored hair behind her shoulder.

It is then that I spot Daryl storming out of the church. I jog over to him, leaving the other three arguing over stupid things.

"Hey," I call out softly, reaching out to touch his shoulder gently.

Daryl whips around, blue eyes blazing. I take a step back to give him some space.

"What is it, blondie?" he snaps.

Yikes.

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay," I murmur.

"Just fuckin' peachy," he growls, shouldering his crossbow.

"We will find her," I say, crossing my arms over my chest.

He sighs then, eyes softening slightly. "I know," he agrees.

"Look, I realize this isn't the time, but about last night…" I trail off uncertainly.

Daryl shifts uncomfortably and his eyes dart away, looking anywhere but at my face. My heart sinks.

"Oh, uh," he clears his throat awkwardly. "It wasn't no big deal. I guess we can jus' pretend it never happened."

Daryl isn't a relationship guy, I remind myself fiercely. No matter how true that statement is, it still hurts to hear him brush it off like it was nothing.

I don't know what possesses me to keep talking, but I manage a quiet, "So it didn't mean anything to you?"

"Why would it?" Daryl asks sharply.

This is what I get for pressing him further on this touchy subject.

Whatever.

I put on an indifferent expression and shrug. "Just making sure," I retort before turning to stalk back to Val, Shawn, and Drew who are sitting under a tree, just talking, but still keeping an open eye for any danger.

As I am walking back over to them, fuming over Daryl's bipolar personality, I catch a snippet of conversation between two people. I recognize one voice as Shane's and the other as Andrea's. Their exchange makes me freeze in my tracks.

"All I care about is getting out of here. As far away as I can," I hear Andrea say to Shane. "Like you."

My eyes narrow and my attention is zeroed in on them.

"We gonna sail off into the sunset together?" he laughs sarcastically. "We gonna hold hands? I got a girl, Andrea. I'm taking Val with me."

My mouth falls open at his words and a wave of panic sweeps through me so strong, I feel weak in the knees.

"I'm not asking you to go steady, Shane, I'm asking for a ride," Andrea sounds equally as exasperated. "A chance to start over, somewhere else. Have you observed this group lately? I have. I see two people who don't belong. We're the odd men out. Between the two of us, we make a great third wheel."

"So what?" Shane asks. "Say we just run off, see then I have an extra ass I got to cover, including Val's. What does that do for me?"

My jaw tightens at how he speaks of my sister. It is taking everything in me not to storm over there and chew him out. Not yet anyway.

"A chance to do something for someone else," Andrea says, sounding all noble. "And a door that swings both ways. Put a gun in my hand and I'll cover your ass too. And Val's," she adds as an afterthought.

Shane scoffs at the idea.

Balling my fists at my sides, I emerge from behind a tree with Shane's back to me. Andrea's eyes widen as she spots me and mumbles something to him before hurrying off. That's right, she better back off.

Shane tosses his gun into his other hand before turning suddenly, but stopping in surprise when he sees me. Then an idea comes to me. Maybe I will appear more intimidating if I act all calm.

Relaxing my hands from their tight ball, I let my hands hang from my sides while casually resting my weight on my left leg.

"Planning a road trip, Shane?" I ask, keeping my tone neutral. The color drains from his face.

"You heard-"

"I heard what? That you are planning on leaving the group? Okay, great. You decide this just after we had a discussion about you and Val's relationship-"

This time he cuts me off before I can finish, angrily growling, "You wouldn't understand."

"It's one thing to run off and ditch us, but it's another to take _my sister_ with you!" my voice squeaks as I try to keep my voice low. So much for acting calm.

"You don't think that sounds selfish? What if she wants to come with me?" he hisses, taking a few steps toward me.

"So you have asked her?"

His silence is all the answer I need.

"You sounded pretty certain she was coming with you though," I growl. I take a few steps closer to him so I am in his face. I know Shane could easily swat me to the side, but I am betting on him not daring to touch a girl which is stupid, I know.

"What gives you the right to think you can take her away from her family? From safety in numbers? I think you, Shane Walsh, are the selfish one here. Leave Valerie out of this," I finish deadly quiet.

By now his face has turned an unhealthy shade of red and he backs up away from me. I watch him storm back to the group, but not before punching a tree.

I really can't stand him. Maybe I should talk to Val about him. Shane has always made me a little uneasy, even from the start. If I was a better sister, I would have warned her away from him.

I take a deep breath, tugging at the ends of my wavy hair. I am so stressed and on edge. This is totally ridiculous. I watch Daryl walk over to Rick and we are all called over to them.

We all wearily drag ourselves over to the tree that Val, Shawn, and Drew are seated at and listen to what Shane has to say.

"Alright," he begins, "Y'all are gonna follow the creek bed back. Alright Daryl, you're in charge. Me and Rick are just gonna hang back, search this area another hour or so to be thorough."

"Ya sure?" Daryl asks.

"I wanna go too," Carl speaks up. "I wanna find my friend."

I smile at Carl's loyalty to Sophia and from there we all divide ourselves up.

When Rick offers Lori his gun, she refuses to leave him unarmed and that's when Daryl steps in. "Here, I've got a spare. Take it," he offers Lori.

Despite my hurt feelings over what Daryl said to me, I can't help but admire how good of a man he really is. He does little things that show he does care about people despite his tough guy facade. Or at least look out for the group because without everyone, on our own, we would all be dead.

Naturally, Andrea can't believe Lori gets a gun when she doesn't and right now, my patience toward Andrea is already wearing thin.

We all start to head back into the woods, me taking the lead. After a few minutes, I feel a presence by my side and turn to see Daryl walking beside me.

"Hey," he mumbles quietly.

I nod my head to acknowledge him.

"Why are ya so quiet? This is a first," he says while grinning.

Right. The kiss didn't mean anything to him. Everything is normal. But somehow I can't shake his words from earlier out of my head. _Well I am._

He said that after I said I didn't think he was interested in me that way. I ignore those thoughts and answer him with what I was thinking about _before_ he asked me that question.

"Just thinking," I reply truthfully.

"'Bout what?"

"College."

"Why?"

"I don't know, I was just thinking about how hard I worked in high school to get into my dream college," I whisper, feeling stupid to even be talking about this.

"Did ya get in?" Daryl asks, surprisingly sounding interested.

"No," I laugh. "But I got into my second choice. Vet school is competitive."

"Ya wanted to be a veterinarian? I hate ta break it ta ya blondie, but Bambi is dinner," he chuckles.

I nudge him with my elbow. "I was going for more of the whole dogs and cats' thing."

He scrunches his nose in distaste, "Can't stand cats."

"What do you have against them?"

"Jus' a dog person, I guess," he shrugs.

"Me too," I agree. "Did you ever have one?" I ask, now curious.

He nods. "His name was Hunter."

"How creative," I roll my eyes. "What kind?"

"What kind a what?"

"What kind of dog, Daryl," I sigh. Honestly what else would I be talking about?

"Oh, uh he was a yellow lab."

"No hunting dog?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

"Hounds are dumb as fuck," he replies. There goes that mouth of his.

We continue talking about non important things before the conversation dies out and we walk in comfortable silence.

"So this is it? This is the whole plan?" Carol's voice breaks the quiet.

"Guess the plan is whittlin' us down into smaller and smaller groups," Daryl says, leaning against a tree.

"Carrying knives and pointy sticks," Andrea butts in. "I see you have a gun," resentment clear in her face as she turns judgmental eyes on Lori.

"Give it a rest Andrea," I say with exasperation.

"Why, you want it?" Lori snaps. "Here, take it," she holds it out. "I'm sick of the looks you're givin' me. All of you."

Andrea looks taken aback, but grabs the gun from Lori. I narrow my eyes at the blonde. I notice Val's eyes are wide.

"Honey, I can't imagine what you're going through and I would do anything to stop it, but you've gotta stop blamin' Rick," Lori continues, taking a seat near Carol on a fallen tree. "It is in your face every time you look at him. Angela too," she points out and I cast my eyes to the ground, ashamed.

"And once Sophia ran, he didn't hesitate, did he? Not for a second. I don't know that any of us would have gone after her the way he did. Or make the hard decisions that he had to make, or that anybody could have done it any differently," she stresses. "Anybody?" she challenges.

When she is met with silence she adds, "You all look to him and then you blame him, but he is not perfect. If you think you can do this without him, go right ahead, nobody is stopping you."

Andrea steps forward to give Lori back her gun. "We should keep moving," she advices softly.

Daryl looks solemn and our group continues on our way.

Once again, we are engulfed in silence, but not for long before a gunshot echoes in the distance.

**AN: Once again, I am so sorry for the ridiculously long wait. I will try to get these out faster; school has just been stressing me out. I will try to update at least once on the weekends, I still need to find a schedule as I said earlier. Please review and tell me what you thought of this one! I would love to hear your opinions!**


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